Timeless
by ButterflyMiko
Summary: The Hikawa sisters are Daughters of the Moon, Quiluete priestess of ancient times, chosen to protect an ancient secret. A curse hangs heavy between La Push and Forks, looming over the woods like a fog. They must stop it from coming to past, or face the war and carnage it brings upon their world.
1. Monster

Kuri woke up in her bed. She was coated in blood. Her caramel skin was caked in it and her ebony hair, even her eyes looked redder than usual.

Kaori, her grandmother, was on her in a second. She grabbed her and pinned her down. "Let her out! This body belongs to my grandchild, do you understand, onryo?!"

"Grams...Grams...Grams...it's me..." Kuri whispered. "It happened again. It's getting more frequent. Eventually I won't be able to stop her from—"

"You have a pure soul." Kaori hissed. "Kuri, Sadako is afraid of you. She's limiting your power by doing this."

"We have to get to La Push...the tribe can help..." Reiko was standing at the doorway, her bright red hair in a tangle.

"We cannot endanger them." Mana said, on the other side, pale skin and dark hair making her look perfect. "We will not go."

"No Mana. She is correct." Kaori said. "Sadako wants us to go, it's true. But the curse on that land will soon bury everyone there in blood and darkness. It is time."

Xxx

Kuri finished unpacking the last box in the Quiluete temple. "There it's all done."

"Someone's knocking." Reiko said.

"So get it." Mana ordered.

"You're right there." Kuri said.

"Shut up you monster." Mana hissed. "You're the reason everyone in this land is condemned, you know that."

"I-It's not true..." Kuri said.

"That's enough!" Reiko yelled. "I'm going into town. You two make nice! Kuri, answer the door."

Kuri got up and went to the door and opened it.

"Hey!" Jacob said. "I'm Jacob Black. My dad sent me up here with a letter for the High Priestess."

Mana snatched it, and read it. "Says I'm to report to Sam Uley. Where is he?"

Jacob's face darkened. "I think he's at his cabin."

Mana stormed of into the woods.

"Well she's in a hurry." Jacob beamed at Kuri. "Hey you wanna go have a picnic?"

"Uh...well." Kuri said. "It's snowing, Jake."

"It doesn't seem that cold." Jacob shrugged.

Kuri laughed a little. Maybe it would be fun. It would be good to be around someone that didn't flinch every time she moved. Maybe she was endangering him. But one look at that big grin, and she didn't care.

"Sure Jake. It's a date."


	2. Match

Kuri spread the blanket over the snow covered ground and began placing the picnic food around.

"This looks great. How'd you throw it together so fast?" Jacob asked.

"Oh I'm good at snack foods." Kuri replied. "I mostly eat junk."

"Come on this isn't junk. These sandwiches are great." Jacob said.

Kuri pulled out her iPhone and handed him an ear pod. "We need mood music."

She switched it to some classic rock and the two jammed out.

"Hey what's that!" Kuri said suddenly, standing up.

Mana was on the cliff with Sam, Jared and Paul. She was giggling with him and they were pushing on each other. In seconds, Mana leapt off the cliff, doing a graceful swan dive into the water.

"So she's one of them." Jacob said.

"Show off." The two of them said at the same time.

They grinned at each other, and Jacob's tension towards Sam was all but forgotten.

"Next time you'll have to show me what you like to do." Kuri said.

"Girls don't generally like fixing cars." Jacob said.

Kuri laughed. "I think I could stomach spending the day with you, since you did so for me. Besides, the idea of you all greased up is sorta...appealing."

A pause, then Jacob lit up in peals of laughter.

"Alright alright. Tomorrow you can come with me to fix the Rabbit." Jacob grinned.

Xxx

Reiko was in town, buying some herbs and such at the gardening shop. She passed a Music Shop and decided to go in.

Wow, there sure were a lot of fancy pianos. She noticed a violin made of cherry wood.

"Excuse me, how much is this?" She asked the clerk.

"$900." The clerk said.

"And the elder wood guitar?" Reiko asked.

"$500." The clerk said.

"Here's two thousand. Bring them to this address, ok?" Reiko said. "And wrap them up nice? It's a surprise."

The clerk smiled and made the sale, but Reiko didn't realize she had caught the eye of someone who was running his hand over the piano keys.

"Mr Cullen. Here for another instrument?" The clerk said.

"Yes, I'd like the same guitar you sold this young lady." Edward said, with a little half smile.

Surprised, Reiko smiled back.

After making his purchase, Edward stopped her in the doorway. "Your Reiko Hikawa right? New miko at La Push? I'm Edward Cullen."

Reiko smirked. "I was wondering when I'd meet a Cullen. My Grams has a lot of stories."

A shadow passed over Edward's face. "I suppose Kaori would..."

He brightened. "Anyway. There's open mic at the Valice Cafe next door. I have a slot in the afternoon tomorrow playing guitar. I'd like it if you'd play too. Maybe we can do a duet."

"I don't know..." Reiko said.

"Think about it." Edward said.

Heading out, he wondered what had gotten into him. Normally he'd never approach a human woman like this, no matter what his feelings. But this woman had an enchanting aura about her that could only be described as...seductive.

It wasn't her blood. Not at all.

It was more like, her voice, her scent, the way she looked. He had always considered that he himself was the perfect predator in that way. But it seemed that he had met his match.


	3. Sam

Sam! Race ya to the cabin!" Mana said.

"Oh there is NO way." Paul said.

"I'll take that action!" Jared grinned.

After their bets were placed, Mana turned to Sam. "Don't you dare wolf out on me!"

"I promise." Sam grinned at her.

The two made the run and Mana skidded to a stop, in front of Sam. "What's wrong Sam? Don't be a sore loser!"

Sam laughed and hugged her. "I let you win."

"You did not. I'm faster than you because I'm your Priestess. Someone's gotta look after you mutts." Mana smirked.

"Ok well I'll admit when the Elders told me that the Hikawas were an ancient Quiluete Priestess line, I was a bit skeptical." Sam said. "But I'm not about to second guess you Mana."

Mana giggled and sat next to Sam in the cabin. "Well thank goodness for that. Now about this curse..."

"Yes the curse on the land." Sam said. "We all feel it. Are you sure the leeches didn't bring it here?"

"No, it was brought about by a demonic creature and and can only be cast off by a priestess." Mana said. "So far it remains inert, locked inside a tree somewhere in the forest."

"That's good then," Paul said.

"So why not leave it?" Jared said.

"Kuri's vision said the 'blood of the imprint' will awaken the 'curse of carnage.'" Mana said.

"What is this curse?" Sam asked.

"Well you know how in fiction Werewolves are creatures who change uncontrollably on the full moon and attack everything in sight? And vampires are so bloodthirsty they can't handle themselves?" Mana said.

"Leeches are leeches." Sam said. "But go on."

"This curse would make that so. You would all become monsters, terrors on each other and the humans. And that's not the worst of it. There's supposed to be some sort of demon sealed in there with the curse. If that creature gets out there is nothing that can stop him." Mana said.

"We are protectors, and you are our priestess. We will overcome this creature and his curse. That is a promise." Sam said.


	4. Parts

Kuri came over to Jacob's garage. He was working on the Rabbit.

"I brought you something." Kuri brought over a part for the Rabbit. "This is the part you were looking for right?"

"Wow you got that for me?!" Jacob rushed over, checking the part. "It's in such good condition! With this I can get her running in no time!"

"Well Grams always taught me that when you go to someone's house for the first time you bring a gift!" Kuri grinned.

Jacob laughed and wiped the grease off his face. "Hey you want a corn dog? I made too many. Embry and Quil are supposed to come over later and they love corn dogs."

"Well then we have a happy coincidence!" Kuri said, eating the corn dog. "Did you know corn dogs were originally invented at the Texas State Fair? I love fairs. Carnivals and circuses too."

"I think you just love a good event." Jacob said. "In that case you should come to the Harvest Festival tonight."

Jacob leaned over and began to install the new part, while Kuri watched, interested.

"Yes I'm supposed to go anyway. Mana's being honored by the tribe." Kuri made a sour face. "Actually I was dreading it, but now that I know you'll be there I think it will be kinda fun."

Xxx

Reiko walked into Valice Cafe and caught the notes of a guitar. She looked up and saw that Edward was playing. She grinned. He really did have a talent.

The song ended and the audience clapped and then he took the mike. "I'd like to take a moment to introduce my duet act. She's a little shy, so she'll need some applause. Reiko Hikawa."

Reiko was shocked but realized she was trapped. If she left she was a coward and wouldn't be able to show her face around town, and if she did it she might screw up. She looked up at his face and he raised an eyebrow, challenging her.

Well she wasn't about to lose to him. Reiko took out her guitar and got on stage next to him.

"We're going to play Blood Trinity." Reiko smiled and whispered. "Try to keep up."

Reiko sang as Edward fell into rhythm in the song next her. Edward took up the lyrics and began to sing the chorus.

The two finished to a standing ovation, and Edward smiled at her. "You were great."

"You know Japanese music." Reiko said.

"There is no music that I don't know." Edward said.

"You should come to the Harvest Festival tonight." Reiko said.

"I'll be there." Edward said.

Xxx

"Are you ready for the Harvest Festival? You'll be presented as the High Priestess." Sam said.

Mana wrapped her arms around his waist. "I know it makes you nervous, having me run with the wolves, honey. But you know I'm strong. Strong like you."

"I take that to mean you are ready." Sam said, stroking her hair.

"I was born for this, Sam." Mana replied.


	5. Harvest Festival

It was late at night, near midnight, and the full moon was high in the sky. Today was the first weekend since they'd moved here. Kuri and her sisters moved about helping Grams with the guests to the shrine.

"Merry meet," Grams said, opening the door to the shrine. She was dressed in flowing, High-Priestess style clothes.

"Merry meet, High Priestess," a Quileute woman—everyone who came to the shrine was Quileute—came in and bowed before the altar of Selene with her wolf companion.

"Welcome to the High Priestess Induction Ritual," Grams said. They were still unsure which of them would be chosen to be the High Priestess.

Grams had repeated these words over and over all day. People came for potions, charms, and for her to cast circles for their loved ones.

Person after person came to Grams asking for aid. And then it was time for the ritual.

Before casting the circle, Grams personally placed a small table made from the wood of a Silver Fir, which is also known as a Birth Tree, in the center of the circle area. Grams arranged three yellow bowls on the table around the purple spirit candle that always rests at the center of a cast circle. She filled one bowl with dried basil leaves, one with fresh saltwater, and one with the dried needles of a Silver Fir. She also filled a Ritual chalice with mead.

Then Grams decorated the table with feathers to represent air and brightly colored ribbons braided together to represent the intertwining of friends' lives.

When the table was made ready and the circle cast by Grams; Mana, Reiko, and Kuri came to the center of the circle. Grams dipped her fingertips into the bowl of saltwater and sprinkled it around the candidate saying:

"As the moon calls to the waves, I use saltwater to cleanse the space around my sister candidates."

Grams returned to the table and, with the spirit candle, lit the bowl of dried basil. After the flame was sufficient to produce smoke, she blew it out. With gentle hand motions she encouraged the breeze to carry the basil smoke to the candidates, who breathed deeply. As the smoke wafted over the candidate Grams continued.

"Sweet basil exorcises negativity. As air carries basil around and through you, let any negatives be banished from your life."

Returning to the table, Grams lit the dried fir needles with the spirit candle. These, too, were blown out after the flame was sufficient to produce smoke. Holding the smoking bowl before her, Grams slowly walked around the candidates three times, saying:

"Be brave and embrace your new destiny. You know that Selene is ever with you. Now, from this day forth, know that your sisters, the High Priestesses that came before, are also ever with you. If you are afraid, call on wind for a sister, and you will be answered. If you are lonely, go to a sister and you will know friendship. When you look in the eyes of another High Priestess, know that you see the love and compassion of Selene reflected there."

Grams returns to the table for the chalice and offer it to the candidate, saying:

"If you accept the pledge of this sisterhood, you will never truly be alone.

What is your choice, priestess?"

Mana, Reiko, and Kuri took the chalices of mead, held them up, and joyfully proclaimed:

"I choose life!"

And they drank deeply from the chalices, Grams and those who have witnessed the Ritual shout:

"Welcome to the sisterhood of life, love, and happiness! Welcome, High Priestesses of Selene!

As the three showed their faces, their crescents were each filled in.

Suddenly warmth filled the air and there was a bright light. Kuri levitated several feet off the ground, and then landed on her feet.

Her sisters and Grams were upon her at once.

"Kuri! Your Mark!" Grams said.

"What?" Kuri lifted her hand to her forehead. It tingled, as did her shoulders and her neck, plus her whole body was still humming with the aftereffects of elemental power, so she hadn't even noticed it.

As she stood the crowd gasped. Her Mark had been added to. A delicate swirl of Celtic knot tattooing framed her eyes. Not as intricate and large as a normal adult High Priestess, but unheard of in a trainee.

Her shoulder was tattooed, too. Stretching from her neck, down her shoulder and back, were sapphire tattoos in a Celtic knot pattern much like that on my face, only the blue marks on my body looked even more ancient, even more mysterious, because they were interspersed with letter-like symbols.

Afterward food and drink were shared in celebration. Many Elders came up and gifted the new priestesses with a special presents to symbolize the priestesses's birth into the sisterhood.

"Go Priestess!" the shouts came from over where Quil and Embry were standing with Jacob.

He headed over, next in line to speak to her.

Lifting her head, Kuri spotted the person Grams had been talking about for so long. He left her speechless.

His dark hair covered his eyebrows, providing a small shadow over his eyes. He was Quileute, his skin the same color as Embry's and Quil's. Against his tight t-shirt she could tell how developed he was, his chest and arms outlined by the fabric.

Not wanting to stare at his muscles the entire time, Kuri forced herself to look up. He was definitely over six feet tall, probably a foot taller than her. When they made eye contact, his eyes lit up.

Kuri's body jolted from the look, but she told herself that was from shock. Jacob was definately gorgeous.

He stared at her for a moment, as if in a daze. "…Are you okay?"

Kuri nodded silently, her eyes glued to him.

"Um, You were great"

"Jacob," Kuri finished for him. His sharp features expressed confusion at that moment. "I'm still me."

"Yeah I know. But you're pretty awesome."

"Yeah but so are you," Kuri said with a small nod, tearing her eyes away. "Sorry. Grams talks too much."

"Oh."

Kuri examined the tile floor, trying to hide her embarrassment.

"So," he started, attracting her attention. "Cool Ritual. Your a Priestess now."

"It's just a job. Relax, we're still...us."

"Right, Priestess." He started to leave, but Kuri stopped him.

"Wanna come to the Samhain Ritual? I convinced the Elders to let me have a Samhain Ritual," Kuri blurted out.

His smile was warm and genuine. "Sure sure. I'd love that."

Still looking into my eyes, he lifted his hand so that it brushed my shoulder. "Selene has Marked you there."

It didn't sound like a question, but Kuri nodded. "Yes."

"I would like to see it. If it wouldn't make you too uncomfortable."

Jacob's voice shivered through Kuri. Logic was telling her that he was only asking to see her tattoos because of how freakishly different they were, and that he was in no way coming on to her. That's what logic was telling her. But his eyes, his voice, the way his hand was still caressing her shoulder—those things were telling her something completely different.

"I'll show it to you."

Kuri was wearing her ceremonial wrap—sheer and white and cut to fit me perfectly. Under it she had on a black tank. She started to shrug out of the wrap.

"Here, let me help you."

Jacob was standing very close to Kuri, in front and to the side. He reached up with his right hand, caught the collar of my jacket with his fingers, and slid it over and down her shoulder so that it pooled around her elbows.

Jacob should be looking at her partially bare shoulder, gawking at the tattoos there that not one other priestess that she knew of had. But he wasn't. He was still staring into her eyes. And suddenly something happened within her. Kuri stopped feeling like a goofy, jittery, dorky teenage girl. The look in his eyes touched the woman inside her, awakening her, and as this new Kuri stirred she found a calm confidence in herself that she had rarely known before. Slowly, Kuri reached up and pushed the small strap of her ribbed cotton tank over her shoulder so that it joined her half-discarded jacket. Then, still meeting his eyes, Kuri swept her long hair out of the way, lifted her chin, and turned her body slightly, giving him a clear view of the back of her shoulder, which was now completely bare except for the slim line of her black bra.

He continued to meet her gaze for several more seconds, and Kuri could feel the cool breath of the night air and the caress of the full moon on the exposed skin of her breast and shoulder and back. Very deliberately, Jacob moved even closer to her, holding her upper arm while he looked at the back of her shoulder.

"It's incredible." His voice was so low it was almost a whisper. Kuri felt his fingertip lightly trace the labyrinthlike spiral pattern that was, except for the exotic-looking runes interspersed around the knots, much like her facial Mark. "I've never seen anything like this. It's as if you're an ancient priestess who has materialized in our time. How blessed we are to have you, Kuri."

He said her name like a prayer. His voice mixed with his touch made her shiver as goose bumps lifted on her skin.

"I'm sorry. You must be cold." Gently, but quickly, Kuri pulled up her tank strap and her jacket.

"I wasn't shivering because I was cold." Kuri heard herself say the words, and couldn't decide if she should be proud of myself or shocked at her boldness.

xxx

Over by the altar, some Forks students had gathered.

Damien Maslin was a sweet homosexual boy from the drama club. Damien had brown-colored hair and deer-like brown eyes. He was cute and looked good in boy's clothes.

He called Reiko over when he spotted her. When they approached them Kuri noticed they turned to look at her. After a moment, Reiko decided to do the introductions.

"Guys, this is Kuri. She's my sister."

"She's the priestess of the Quileute's," Damien nodded in approval and they sat down.

Erin Bates walked up. Erin was Caucasian with blue eyes, creamy skin and long, straight, blond hair and wears designer clothing. She had an obsession with her hair.

Erin tried to get her into the conversation. "What about you, Kuri? Any other siblings?"

"Besides Reiko I've got one demon of a sister, Mana." Kuri laughed at her own private joke.

Reiko pouted. "Yeah. Mana. Lucky us."

"Not really," Kuri admitted. "I'm close with my Grams, but it's not really the same."

"At least you're friends with your parents."

"Not so much," Reiko tried.

Erin only shrugged. She then looked to her. "So, what do you think of La Push? That's where you live, right?"

"I've already told Reiko the lack of sun is going to bother me," Kuri said with a small smile.

"Well, now you know why most of us are pale," Shaunee Cole replied. "Except for the Quileutes, naturally."

Shaunee was a mix of American/Jamaican descent with long dark glossy waves, cappuccino with milk colored skin, and dark eyes. She had curvy, pouty lips and high cheekbones that made her look like an African princess.

"Do you know of any around our age?" Kuri asked.

"….yeah," Erin said finally.

"How many?"

"Three," she said. "Jacob Black, Quil Ateara, and Embry Call."

xxx

Finally, the subject came up that Reiko wanted to hear.

"Then there's the Cullen family. They were the new kids before you came here. Maybe that's why Edward came here to see you guys." She seemed just as confused about it as Reiko was. "Anyways, he and his sister Kramisha and brother Darius were adopted by Larten Cullen. Larten is why Arra got custody of her twin niece and nephew, Aphrodite and Kurda Hale, just a few years ago when their parents died. Dr. Cullen ended up adopting them too."

"It must be nice. Big family and all." It was something Reiko dreamed of.

"It's weird though too. For the past couple of years since they moved here, I hardly ever see them speak to anyone else unless they had a class project."

"They keep to themselves."

"Oh yea. They don't even date outside their group."

Reiko raised a brow. "Are you talking about incest?"

Jess giggled. "No they date the ones they weren't raised with. Aphrodite is with Darius, and Kurda is with Kramisha. Which I think is weird. They live together and all. Plus Kramisha is only sixteen, she skipped a grade. So Kurda is two years older than her. I suppose it's kind of cute and all, just strange."

"And inappropriate." Reiko couldn't fathom it.

"As far as I know, no one has really questioned it or called child protective services. It's probably because they are all really nice and polite. Whenever they do talk to people. Kramisha and Darius will from time to time."

"What about Edward, who is he paired with? The family cat?"

Again, Shaunee giggled and Reiko couldn't help but smile back.

"No Edward isn't with anyone. Hasn't been as long as he's been here. Many girls have tried though."

That didn't surprise her. Reiko considered asking more, but she didn't. Her sister was giving her a glare, and it was obvious she knew more about the Crepsleys. There wasn't much more Reiko could say without seeming crazy. She also didn't want it getting around the school that the new girl was interested, in any way, in Edward Cullen.

The conversation went back to other parts of the school and the town. She was also asked a myriad of questions about Lebanon, her family, her interests, and every topic one would ask a new kid.

Tyler and Damien kept starring at her, which was awkward, but Reiko tried to ignore it. She instead concentrated on the others, and also enjoying being somewhat friendly with kids her age.

Maybe it would go away once her moving to the area wasn't so fresh. For now Reiko enjoyed it. She ignored everyone else's staring and wished that part of the new kid attraction would end.

She daydreamed over her ham sandwich and glanced around the cafeteria. Her gaze rested on the table in the corner by the windows. She would have guessed the other four people were the Cullen's, even if Edward hadn't been at the table.

Reiko could even guess who was who. Kramisha and Darius both had dark hair, making them look alike. They also both had caramel colored eyes, though the rest of their features were opposites. Kramisha's spiky hair and short stature made her look like a woeful pixie. Darius however looked much more intimidating. His curly hair and dimples made his broad muscles and shoulders look less severe. Then there were the twins. They only looked like so because of the blond hair and gold eyes. Though Jaspers hair was wavy and short and his eyes dark. He looked the most average of the group, though not compared to the rest of them. Aphrodite's hair was straight like Reiko's, though not as long. That didn't make her less surprising though. Her name should have been the definition of beautiful, not Reiko's. Her eyes were bright and she looked like something out of a fairy tale. Reiko was surprised the boys weren't making more of a fanfare over her.

Reiko could certainly understand why girls chased Edward, just on his looks alone. His eyes were probably the most expressive part of him. As well as that hesitant smile. It's crookedness would look awkward on anyone else. His hair was an interesting color. She imagined it looked even more bronze in the sunlight.

Based on all of their pale complexions though, it seemed sunlight wasn't shone on them often.

In the moment or so that Reiko sized them up, the only one who seemed to notice her, was Edward.

He broke off from his conversation with his sister, and looked over at her table. Reiko smiled at him which softened his expression.

What was this?

Reiko knew she was attracted to him. Any straight girl or gay boy could be attracted to him.

She had been attracted to boys before though. She even dated two. It shouldn't fluster her this much. She shouldn't notice so much.

Plus, there was something not right about him. In fact, after seeing his family, Reiko wondered if he wasn't the only one.

Reiko didn't know what was going on, but she knew if something interested her, She pursued it.

Edward Cullen….interested her.

Xxx

The Cullens stood far off, on the Forks side of the Shrine area, but close enough to see the induction of the three High Priestesses. They had really come for one.

Kramisha had seen this coming for years. Though she enjoyed her visions, the one she had started having seventeen years ago, sparked something in Edward.

Terror, hope, frustration.

She began having visions of a girl. The first vision was just a baby with red hair and a blue crescent mark on her forehead. As the years went on, the visions became of that girl, only at different ages, until all they saw was a seventeen year old girl.

Her power over light made her blinding, exquisite and Kramisha talked animatedly with the others about what this might mean.

Sometimes she'd be with Edward, sometimes she'd be with the others in the visions. She was human, and looked like something familiar to him.

Life.

It glowed around her in every vision.

But they didn't know why Kramisha saw her. Was she a girl Larten would have to change due to illness or injury? Was she some distant relative from our past? Why did Edward have such an attachment to her?

Edward's frustration came when Kramisha's vision began changing. Different decision must have been being made.

Edward had never been the type of man to only have attraction to a girl based on her looks. Yet, something in her face tugged at him. Made him feel at home.

Knowing she was out there somewhere, and human, made these feelings painful. So Edward blocked them out and refused to find her.

Much to his family's dismay.

Edward knew they just wanted him to find what they had.

Love.

"We're going to have to move." Aphrodite sighed.

"Thank you for the vote of confidence." Edward snarled at his sister.

"I'm just saying. They were just getting used to us here." Aphrodite played with her hair. "And Kurda hasn't accidentally killed someone." She grinned as Kurda glared at her.

"I didn't hurt her, we don't have to leave." Edward reminded her.

"No but you didn't act human." Kurda pointed out.

"I highly doubt whatever she did notice will make her say 'Yep, he's definitely a vampire.'" Darius defended.

"She'll question him now is the point." Kramisha said. "I don't see us leaving though."

"Because we won't leave. If it comes to it I will leave. There's no reason for all of us to go." Edward argued.

"Family." Aphrodite said, and though Edward knew, if they did leave, she'd pester him about it for years; but the sentiment made him close his hand over hers for a moment.

Edward looked over to his left and saw the bright green eyes that affected him more than he liked. She smiled slightly at him, and for the first time, Edward relaxed. He tried to see the good in the situation. The most important…

She was still here.

Edward didn't kill. He remained in control. His family wasn't at risk, they weren't disappointed in him, it could be ok.

If Edward could control himself once, he could do it again.

He would.

"Uh oh." Darius said, and broke his thought.

"What?" Edward asked as Darius studied him and then Reiko.

"I know that look." He said.

"She probably just thinks he's pretty." Kramisha teased.

"I'm not pretty." Edward rolled his eyes.

"Handsome then." Kurda offered. "It's manlier." He explained to Kramisha.

"Thanks buddy." Edward looked back to Reiko, who was now back in conversation with her new friends. "I don't know what she's thinking anyways."

"What?" Darius looked surprised.

"I can't read her mind." Edward said lowly. He was almost ashamed by it, but mostly fascinated.

"That's never happened before." Aphrodite sounded worried by it.

"I'm aware. So we'll have to rely on Kramisha's visions instead. Kramisha should see if she decides to say something, or if I'll have trouble again.

"Well, let's just hope she thinks you're on drugs." Kramisha said, and Darius laughed.

"There's always that." He nodded.

There was a pause, and then Edward's head shot up.

"What is it?" Kramisha asked.

"Kaori," he hissed the name, repeating what he had heard from the thoughts of the shrine, that little place Edward could never forget, built on the site where they made the treaty. "Kaori is her Grandmother. Reiko is one of them. A priestess."

Edward heard a clatter in the direction of the altar, he turned to look. At that moment Reiko was in mid fall, tripping over her own feet. She landed on her knees with a smack and before anyone could ask if she was alright, she threw her hands up in the classic "superstar" pose. The students around her let loose a stream of laughs.

When she stood, she was facing him from a distance. Edward half smiled at her. He couldn't seem to help it. She smiled back and curtsied at Edward and his family, and turned to grab her book bag.

"This is very bad." Edward heard one of his siblings say.

"Very." Edward answered, wondering if he had ever seen anyone like Reiko Hikawa.

Edward knew he hadn't and likely wouldn't.

And there was something to worry about again.


	6. Revealed

Reiko sat at Valice Cafe listening to Edward play the guitar.

They didn't always play together, today she was listening to him.

He finished his song and came to sit with her.

"So why don't you attend school?" Edward asked.

"I'm home schooled." Reiko said.

"What do you learn?" Edward asked, curious.

"Basic subjects, as well as the miko arts." Reiko said, drinking her tea.

She noted that Edward did not eat. Was it true, what Grams had warned her? Was he really a vampire? And all of his family too? Should she ask? Did she dare?

"What are the miko arts?" Edward was even more curious now.

"Everything. From praying, purification of evil spirits, to fighting. Each of us has our own preferred weapon of course." Reiko didn't know why she was telling an outsider. But he was so easy to talk to.

"Evil spirits..." Edward chuckled. "What are your preferred weapons?"

"Mana uses a dagger. It's called Shiken—the spiritual blade. It can only harm evil, but all our weapons are like that. Kuri used to use a bow, but now I think she likes her sword Kiboken—Sword of Wishes. Me, I prefer a Naginata. It's like a polearm. It's called the Naginata of Kenkon—Polearm of Heaven and Earth. It used to be evil, and I underwent a trial to purify it."

"Your lives sure sound exciting." Edward laughed.

"You don't believe me." Reiko stated. "Fine then. I'll prove it."

She held out her hands very carefully, and suddenly time seemed to stand still. Only the two of them still seemed alive.

"What is this?" Edward asked.

"This is molecular immobilization. It's not a time freeze, it's the molecules themselves. Right here, no one can hear us or see us unless they walk in from outside. Edward, this world is magical. And I'm a miko." Reiko smiled.

"I'm a vampire." Edward admitted lowly.

Reiko was so shocked she dropped the freeze. Time passed normally and no one noticed. She hadn't expected him to admit to it.

"This makes us enemies." Edward continued.

"It doesn't have to!" Reiko angrily stood. "You don't have to be the same as Grams, forcing us to chose sides. When the curse comes down on us, everyone will suffer, the only way is to fight together!"

And with that she stormed out.

Edward stood to follow her, and opened the door. He saw it as if in slow motion.

Reiko walked across the parking lot, but a truck spun on the ice and was coming straight for her.

His mouth formed the words to warn her but he knew there was nothing for it.

Somehow—he didn't know how—something told him she wouldn't use her powers to save her own life.

That's what made them different. She was completely selfless.

And he couldn't let her die.

Edward threw himself across the lot, not bothering to look to see if anyone saw him. He was at her side before she could turn from where she had been staring at him. He grabbed her and pushed her under her truck, shielding her body with his. He kicked his legs out from under the truck, catching the bottom of the van. It acted as though it hit a wall, and stopped. He breathed a sigh of relief. He was sure at the speed it was going, he was going to have to cause more damage.

As luck would have it, only Reiko was there seeing what Edward had done. He reached his hand out, and dented the side of her truck slightly, right at the bottom, so it would look as though the van hit. He motioned for Reiko to slide to the other side of the truck. When they stood, it looked as though they were always on the opposite, safe side. He scanned the thoughts of the crowd, and aside from his family, no one had been paying attention to Reiko to begin with, so no one saw she had originally been on the other side of the truck.

"Are you ok?" Edward asked quickly, and she remained silent. "Reiko?"

"I'm alright." Reiko whispered.

"Why?!" Edward asked as anger built up within him. "Why didn't you save yourself?!"

"The Wiccan Rede..." Reiko said weakly. "An it harm none, do what ye will."

All at once he understood, she couldn't ever use her powers for herself, none of them could. He had to protect her.


	7. Questions and Answers

Reiko should be scared. She should be angry. She shouldn't be laughing, or feel safe.

Yet, Reiko did feel safe. She was completely sure now, that the first time she and Edward had met, he had been fighting to not kill her. The fact that he hadn't, when he could have easily, showed her the humanity in him. He wasn't a monster; he was trying to be as human as possible. Then the fact that he still attempted to be around her and be her friend, even though it was a difficulty to his nature, showed her he cared for her. Then the fact that he has saved her life, though it could have exposed him and his family for what they are, showed her how safe she was with him. Those three things, along with all the other parts of Edward that she liked, made her not care if he wasn't human.

Of course, that didn't mean Reiko knew what the hell they were going to do about it.

"So….a vampire." Reiko said finally. They only had a little over an hour before Grams and her sisters would be home so she knew she had to get her questions out.

"Yes. And you are a priestess." He said, with his lips twitching. The smile didn't reach his eyes though. He looked at her hands from time to time, as if he was expecting them to reach for the door handle as she bolted. "Were you hoping you were wrong?"

"A little. Only because I don't know what to do about it." Reiko admitted. "I still have questions, if you are ok with answering them."

He nodded. "Fire away. I have questions as well."

"What kind of a vampire are you? Obviously you are able to do things the vampires in myths and stories can't."

"There's only one kind of vampire, apart from our diets. I can walk in the sunlight without it hurting me, though we stay away from it because it shows us for what we are. We look more monstrous. Also, sunlight warms the blood; it makes humans more irresistible, so we are more likely to lose control. We don't have a weakness against garlic. Our reflection shows. I'll never change from this." He gestured to himself. He considered a moment, as if debating what else to tell her. "We don't have fangs; our teeth are just very sharp, and venomous. Speed, strength, and indestructibility are part of the perks." He looked at her. "I suppose the most important thing is what I eat, yes."

"Yea that's high on the list."

"Larten was the first of our family to be made, and the most human of us. He's passed down the desire to keep our humanity, so we only feed on animals. However, there was a brief time a few years after I was changed that I didn't keep to that lifestyle." He whispered the last sentence, clearly ashamed. Yet, he met her eyes as he said it. He owned up to it.

"You killed people."

He looked like he wished he could deny it. "My only defense is that I made sure the people I killed, deserved to die. Murderers, rapists, other terrible people, they were the only ones I killed."

"How did you tell they were bad people? Is that something vampires can sense?"

"Sometimes a predator can sense another predator, though with me it was more of a guarantee." He took a breath, though I suspected breathing was one of those superfluous acts for him. "I can read minds." He continued. "It's something I discovered I could do once I woke up like this. Yours is the only one I haven't been able to read. At first I thought that's why I was so interested in you. You were a mystery to me. I think that's just what I told myself. I didn't want to accept the truth."

That explained a lot about him. The only horror she felt about the newest fact vanished when he said he couldn't hear her. That was a wonderful thing. She didn't have to worry about her thoughts at least. "That makes sense. Why did you stop eating people if they deserved it?"

"I didn't want to be this. It made me no better than them. I didn't want that. I knew I was letting people down."

"Who?"

"My parents. Both sets of them. My birth parents died before I did. Larten and Arra have been my parents for a long time now."

It seemed that brought the next inevitable question. "How long have you been like this? How old were you when it happened?"

"I was seventeen. My father died a year before, and my mother and I were sick. The influenza had wiped out many families. I assumed we would be next. I was fine with that at the time. The loss of my father was a difficult one, and my mother was fading faster than I was. I wasn't eager to lose her as well. I didn't want to live without both of my parents, so I wasn't scared for death. Towards the end I didn't even know what was happening. Larten says my mother passed first. In her passing she was somehow able to recognize that Larten had the power to keep me alive. She begged him to do so, and he did. He waited until the right moment, and then he made me this. He saved me. He says he's regretted it. That it was selfish of him to make me. He wanted a son. He wanted to see a good side in death. That there wasn't waste in it. So I lived. That was ninety years ago." He looked at Reiko, as if waiting for that to be the tipping point for her. That she would now run.

"That makes you a few years older than me," Reiko said with a smile. He shook his head at her, exasperated. "That's weird. I mean, I guessed you were somehow older. It's in the way you speak. The way your eyes look. As if you've seen so much more than I ever could. But, you don't act annoyed with me."

Now Reiko had confused him. "Why would I be?"

"Because I'm younger. I'm sure people my age can be frustrating for you."

"Sometimes. When we are changed though, the way we look isn't the only thing that freezes. Sometimes the way we think can stop as well. I can learn more than a human, but that doesn't mean my mind will age as my years have. In many ways I still think like a seventeen year old, because I haven't changed in every way. Also, you don't frustrate or annoy me, because you seem older than you are as well."

Reiko sighed. "Mana has always said that. I'm middle aged." She shrugged it off.

"It's a good thing. You see everything differently, with a wise perspective. At the same time, you should be running right now."

"I'm not in danger." Reiko said with conviction. "If you wanted to kill me, you would have that first day."

Reiko could see from his expression that he was looking back on it. "It was the sunlight. It came through a crack of the curtains. Your scent was already a strong one, one that made me thirsty. More so than any other I've encountered. Mix that with the sunlight, and it's a miracle I didn't kill you."

"And today you saved me."

"I did."

"Why?"

"Part out of decency. You don't deserve to die, and I knew I could stop it. The other part is a question you'll have to ask another day. I can't answer it right now." He looked regretful, and though Reiko wondered why, she didn't press it. "So you feel safe with a vampire?" He leaned back in the driver's seat and smiled slightly. "How can you not have a problem with what I am?"

"Yes I feel safe with you. What you are doesn't scare me. If you haven't hurt me now, you won't ever on purpose. I don't even think you could by accident." She considered a moment, feeling sadness for the first time. "I don't have a problem with what you are. I know you are good. I like you as a friend. The problem is I like you as more. I feel more. I've tried not to, but it's there. I'm not completely stupid, so I know you feel something too. The problem is I don't know if we can do anything about that. I don't know if we can pursue it or ignore it."

"That's a choice you have to make." He didn't look at her now.

"What is it you want?" Reiko asked, feeling her heartbeat kick.

"What I want doesn't matter. I won't be the one putting myself at risk. Even if you feel safe with me, you will still be at risk, even if we are just friends. All I can tell you is that I will be whatever you want me to be. You want me to be your friend, that's what I'll be. You want me to take a hike, I'll leave you be. It's you're decision."

"And if I want you to be something more than a friend? Is that what you want?"

He looked back at her finally, his eyes saying everything his words didn't have to. He looked at her, as if Reiko was the only one he'd ever seen, and has ever seen. Though he was careful, always hesitant, he reached his hand towards hers, and let his fingers twine in her hand. She felt the jolt, and though his skin was cold she felt warmth. They looked at each other for a while, and then he jumped from the car.

"Regardless." He said simply. "The choice is yours Reiko. It will always be your choice from now on." He raced over to open her car door for her, a blur of color. Reiko wondered if he wouldn't hold back from her now. "I'll see you in school tomorrow. Change your clothes, and relax. Think it over carefully." He handed Reiko her book bag, and paused in front of her. She wasn't positive she knew what he was thinking, but somehow, she felt she knew.

"Thank you for this afternoon. Not just for saving me, for telling me everything." Reiko somehow knew she was the first person he had ever told. It meant something to know he could share with her.

"Thank you for reacting so well. It goes against the grain, but it was….more than I expected. I meant more." He said, stealing her unread thoughts. "As for saving you….." He trailed off as he looked down at Reiko. He reached his hand up, this time going for her face. She stayed still, not out of fear, but not wanting him to feel uncomfortable with his other nature. His hands framed her face and he gently laid his forehead on hers, and breathed a sigh of what sounded like relief. As if it relieved him that she was still here.

It was one of those gestures that end up meaning more to you than a kiss or a hug will. It was timeless and human, and Reiko had never felt more certain of how she felt about this boy she hardly knew.

Reiko loved him. For everything he was, just as he was.

He backed away from her. The moment saying all he needed to. "I have some questions as well."

"Fire away." Reiko mimicked his expression.

"I know the High Priestess runs with the wolves, but do you—"  
Reiko cut him off. "No, no way. I'm not Chosen by Grams like Mana. She has powers that I don't possess."

"But you do have powers?"

Reiko smiled. "You've seen them."

"Wow. No wonder you are not afraid of me," Edward mused. "What about your sisters? And your Grams?"

"Grams is telekinetic, and she has a wolf affinity, with access to the pack mind. Mana can slow down and freeze things and has an air affinity. Kuri has premonitions, telekinesis, molecular immobilization and has a spirit affinity."

Reiko rattled it all off, memorized words.

"A formidable force," Edward said. "How is your Grams still alive? Do Priestesses have a type of immortality in relation to wolves or vampires?"

"A Priestess will age naturally until she runs with wolves," Reiko recited. "She will then have arrested development until the pack is retired. Unless she is imprinted on. If she is imprinted on, she and her wolf will become immortal. Which is probably why Grams forbids imprinting between wolves and us."

"One last question. Why did your family return to La Push after all these years? Kaori Watanabe vowed to never return."

Reiko was startled by the use of Grams' old name, the familiarity of using her name instead of Grams like everyone else. She never thought about it, but because of the treaty the vampires must know Grams.

"Kuri had a vision," Reiko finally said. "She had a vision that the wolves would be thrown into a cross-species war with the vampires."

Because of me. She thought, but left that part out.

He was silent for a long moment, then spoke.

"I'll see you at the Cafe. Sleep well." Was all he said, and he was gone. Reiko didn't even see his blur of color this time


	8. I've Said Too Much But Not Enough

Reiko had been strong enough to tell Grams about Edward.

Of course Grams knew he was a vampire and wasn't too happy. It took about a week for her to speak to Reiko again. It helped when Kramisha came by and introduced herself. While Edward's manners and laid back tone made Grams at ease; Kramisha's charisma was hard to resist.

"I'm going to meet his family." Reiko said. "We're all going on a hike."

"A hike? You?" Mana laughed.

"I think you've got me confused with Kuri. I love nature." Reiko said.

"She's right. I'm the one who hates being outside." Kuri said.

"Hello Reiko." Edward said as he entered. "Hello Hikawa family."

"And how is your family?" Grams asked. "Behaving I hope?"

"Of course." Edward said. "You ready, Reiko?"

Reiko rolled her eyes at him. "Of course."

The two set off on their hike and soon met up with his family.

"Hello there!" Arra came over and hugged her. "It's good to meet the girl Edward talks so much about."

Arra released her and held out her hand. Reiko shook it, looking questioningly at Edward.

"It means she approves of you and respects you." Edward said. "Arra's a warrior, and she doesn't shake hands with everyone. She still won't shake Kurda and Aphrodite's hands."

"They have yet to earn it." Larten smiled.

Reiko was struck. Larten must be where Edward learned to speak so formally! She always knew it was more than the fact that he was over a hundred.

"Well no matter if I best her in a fight," Kurda said. "Arra just doesn't respect my ideas."

"As for Aphrodite," Kramisha laughed. "She acts too much like a hag from hell sometimes."

"I don't need a handshake." Aphrodite said snobbishly.

"Of course not dearest." Darius comforted her, knowing she wanted one.

They all broke into laughter, and Reiko really felt like one of them.

Reiko started as Edward froze and whipped his body in the direction of Kramisha at a speed that shocked her. He so rarely showed his vampiric ways that it had her instantly alert. "Edward, what is it?"

"Kramisha." He said, and in seconds they were back at the house.

Kramisha suddenly gasped. Edward was immediately at Reiko's side. The family instantly gathered together. She was sitting right on the ground, hard to see in the shadow under the ledge. Her head was tilted back, and her eyes were rolled so that only their whites were showing. She scared the total crap out of Reiko. Reiko felt frozen, expecting any second to see blood pouring down her face. Then she moaned and muttered something Reiko couldn't understand while her eyeballs shifted around behind her closed lids as though she was watching a scene. Reiko realized what must be happening.

Kramisha was having a vision.

Kurda bent down and grabbed her under the arms, pulling her to her feet.

"Come on," Kurda groaned, half carrying her while she lurched blindly forward with him. "Let's get you to Arra."

Thankfully, Arra wasn't far away, sitting on a rock. They staggered over and Arra jumped forward and rushed to her.

"Kramisha! What?" But as soon as she got a good look at Kramisha, her alarm changed to calm understanding. "Help me bring her over here on to this rock. She'll be more comfortable there."

They led Kramisha to the rock, and let her sit down on it. Then Arra crouched beside her and took her hand. "Kramisha, with the Goddess's voice I beseech you to tell us what it is you see." Arra's voice was soft, but compelling, and Reiko could feel the power in her command.

Kramisha's eyelids instantly began to flicker, and she drew a deep, gasping breath. Then they opened suddenly. Her eyes looked huge and glassy.

"So much blood! There's so much blood coming out of his body!"

"Who, Kramisha? Center yourself. Focus and clear the vision," Arra commanded.

Kramisha drew another gasping breath. "They're dead! No. No. That can't be! Not right. No. Not natural! I don't understand…I don't…" She blinked her eyes again, and her gaze seemed to clear. She looked around the room, like she didn't recognize anything. Her eyes touched Reiko. "You…," she said faintly. "You know."

"I-I don't—" Reiko defended.

"No, she's not finished. She shouldn't be coming to so soon. The vision is still too abstract," Arra told Reiko quickly, and then she lowered her voice again and assumed the compelling, commanding tone. "Kramisha, go back. See what it is you were meant to witness, and what you were meant to change."

Kramisha calmed. "I saw the night of Samhain. Mana cast a circle and summoned spirits she could not control, and they descended on Jacob Black and devoured him. After that Kaori banished them."

Reiko went white. "We have to save him."


	9. Samhain

They stepped up to join the group where it had formed a loose circle around the domed gazebo situated at the bottom of the gentle slope that led up to the shrine. It was close to the ornamental fishpond that ended right before the terraces leading up to the museum began. It really was an incredibly beautiful place. Now the night had changed it from a place with pretty, well-tended gardens and marble water features into a magical fairy kingdom all washed in the light of the moon and shaded by layers of grays and silvers and midnight blues.

The gazebo itself was amazing. It sat on the top of huge round stairs, throne-like, so that they had to climb up to it. It was made of carved white columns, and the dome was lit from beneath, so that it looked like something that could have been found in ancient Greece, and then restored to its original glory and lit for the night to see.

Mana climbed the stairs to take her place in the middle of the gazebo, which immediately sucked some of the magic and beauty from it. Several Quiluete women were with her. They'd set up a little table in the middle of the gazebo and draped it with black cloth. Kuri could see that there were a bunch of candles on it, and some other stuff, including a goblet and a knife.

"I will cast the circle and call the spirits of our ancestors to dance within it with us," Mana said. She spoke softly, but her voice traveled around us like a poisonous mist. It was spooky to think about ghosts being drawn to Mana's circle, but Kuri had to admit that it intrigued her almost as much as it scared her. This ritual was obviously something Mana had been doing for a while. It couldn't be that scary or dangerous. Mana played all big and cool, but I had a feeling that it was an act. Underneath she was what all bullies are—insecure and immature. Also, bullies tended to avoid anyone tougher than them, so it was only logical that if Mana was going to call spirits into a circle it meant that they were harmless, probably even nice. Mana was definitely not going to face down a big, bad, boogie monster.

Kuri started to relax into welcoming what was already becoming a familiar hum of power as the four Quiluete women took candles that corresponded to the element they were representing, and then moved to the correct area of the mini-circle in the gazebo.

Mana summoned wind, and Kuri s hair lifted gently in a breeze that only she could feel.

Kuri closed her eyes, loving the electricity that tingled across her skin. Actually, in spite of Mana, Kuri was already enjoying the beginning of the ritual. And Jacob was standing beside her, which helped her not to care that no one else there would talk to her.

Kuri relaxed more, certain suddenly that the future wasn't going to be that bad. Everything would be okay. Kuri opened her eyes and watched Mana move around the circle. Each element sizzled through her, and she wondered how Jake could stand so close to her and not notice it. Kuri even snuck a peek at him, half expecting him to be staring at her as the elements played over her skin, but, like everyone else, he was looking at Mana.

(Which was actually annoying—wasn't he supposed to be sneaking looks at Kuri, too?)

Then Mana began the ritual of summoning of the ancestral spirits, and even Kuri couldn't keep her attention from her. She stood at the table, holding a long braid of dried grass over the purple spirit flame, so that it lit quickly. She allowed it to burn for a little while, and then blew it out. She waved it gently around her as she began to speak, filling the area with tendrils of smoke. Kuri sniffed, recognizing the scent of sweet grass, one of the most sacred of ceremonial herbs because it attracted spiritual energy.

Grams used it often in her prayers. Then Kuri frowned and felt a tendril of worry.

Sweet grass should be used only after sage has been burned to cleanse and purify the area; if not, it might attract any energy—and "any" didn't always mean good. But it was too late to say anything, even if I could have stopped the ceremony. She had already begun calling to the spirits, and her voice had taken on an eerie, singsong quality that was somehow intensified by the smoke that curled thickly around her.

On this Samhain night, hear my ancient call all you spirits of our ancestors.

On this Samhain night, let my voice carry with this smoke to the Otherworld where bright spirits play in the sweet grass mists of memory. On this Samhain night I do not call the spirits of our human ancestors. No, I let them sleep; I have no need for them in life or in death. On this Samhain night I call magical ancestors— mystical ancestors—those who were once more than human, and who, in death, are more than human.

Completely entranced, Kuri watched with everyone else as the smoke swirled and changed and began to take on forms. At first Kuri thought she was seeing things, and she tried to blink her vision clear, but soon she understood what she was seeing had nothing to do with blurry vision. There were people forming within the smoke. They were indistinct, more like the outlines of bodies than actual bodies themselves, but as Mana continued to wave the sweet grass they grew more substantial, and then suddenly the circle was filled with spectral figures that had dark, cavernous eyes and open mouths.

Mana put down the still-smoking grass and picked up the goblet. Even from where Kuri was watching, it seemed that she looked unusually pale, as though she had taken on some of the physical characteristics of the ghosts. Her red dress was almost painfully bright within the circle of smoke and gray and mist.

"I greet you, ancestral spirits, and ask that you accept our offering of wine and blood so that you may remember what it is to taste life." She lifted the goblet, and the smoky shapes churned and roiled with obvious excitement. "I greet you, ancestral spirits, and within the protection of my circle I—"

She stopped, stared straight at Jacob.

"Come up here, human."

Like their eyes were magnets to her freaky attraction, Jacob and I (and, for that matter, the rest of the Quiluetes) stared up at her. Her body looked weird. Was it pulsing? How could it? She flipped back her hair and ran one hand down her body like a nasty stripper, cupping her breast and then moving down to rub between her legs. Her other hand lifted and she curled her finger, beckoning Jacob.

"Come to me, human. Let me taste you."

This was bad; this was wrong. Something terrible was going to happen to Jacob if he went up there and stepped within that circle.

Totally entranced by her, Jacob lurched forward without any hesitation (or common sense). Kuri grabbed his arms.

"Stop it, Jake! I want you to go. Now. You don't belong here."

With an effort, Jacob pulled his eyes from Mana. He jerked his arm from Kuri grip and practically growled at her.

"If he refuses our summons, then we shall go to him."

My head jerked up to see Mana's body convulse as gray wisps seeped out of her. She let out a gasp that was a cross between a sob and a scream. The spirits, including the ones that had obviously been possessing her, rushed to the edge of the circle, pressing against it in an effort to break free and get to Jacob.

"Stop them, Mana. If you don't they'll kill him!" Damien shouted as he stepped out from behind an ornamental hedge that framed the pond."

"Damien, what—" Kuri began, but he shook his head.

"No time to explain," he told me quickly before turning his attention back to Mana. "You know what they are," he called up to her. "You have to contain them in the circle or he'll die."

Mana was so pale she looked like a ghost herself. She moved away from the smoky shapes that were still trying to push against the invisible boundary of the circle, until she was pressed against one edge of the table.

"I won't stop them. If they want him, they can have him. Better him than me—or any of the rest of us," Mana said.

"Yeah, we don't want any part of this!" said one of the Quiluete women before dropping her candle, which sputtered and went out. Without another word, she ran out of the circle and down the gazebo stairs. The other three girls who were supposed to be personifying the elements followed her lead, disappearing quickly into the night and leaving their candles overturned and unlit.

Horrified, Kuri watched one of the gray shapes begin to melt through the circle.

The smoke that was his spectral body began seeping down the stairs, reminding me of a snake as it slithered in our direction. Kuri felt the tribe stir and glanced around her. They were nervously backing away, looks of fear twisting their faces.

"It's up to you, Sister."

"Rei!"

"I told you we needed to stick together." She smiled weakly at Kuri.

"Better hurry," Shaunee said.

"Those ghosts are scaring the shit right outta your boy," Erin said.

Kuri looked over her shoulder to see the Twins standing beside the white-faced, open-mouthed Jacob, and I felt a jolt of pure happiness. They hadn't abandoned her! She wasn't alone!

"Let's get this done," Kuri said.

Without needing to look back to be sure her friends were following me, Kuri hurried up the steep stairs to the ghost-filled gazebo. When she reached the boundary of the circle she hesitated for a second. The spirits were slowly dissolving through it, their attention completely focused on Jacob. Kuri took a deep breath and stepped inside the invisible barrier, feeling an awful chill as the dead brushed restlessly against her skin.

"You have no right to be here. This is my circle," Mana said, pulling herself together enough to wrinkle her lip at Kuri and block her way to the table and the spirit candle, which was the only one still lit.

"Was your circle. Now you need to shut up and move," Kuri told her.

Mana narrowed her eyes at her.

"Bobble-head, you need to do what Kuri says. I have been dying to kick the shit outta you for two years," Shaunee said, moving up to stand beside her.

"Me, too, you nasty ho bag," Erin said, stepping up to her other side.

Before the Twins could pounce on her, Jacob's scream shattered the night. Kuri whirled around. Mist was crawling up Jacob's legs, leaving long, thin tears in his jeans that instantly began to weep blood. Panicked, he was kicking and shrieking.

"Fast! Take your places," Kuri yelled.

Her friends ran to the deserted candles. Hastily they picked them up and waited in the proper positions.

Kuri moved around Mana, who was staring at Jacob, with her hand pressed against her mouth as if to hold back her screams. Kuri grabbed the purple candle and rushed over to Damien.

"Wind! I summon you to this circle," Kuri yelled, touching the purple candle to the yellow one. Kuri wanted to cry with relief when the familiar whirlwind suddenly sprang up, swirling around my body and lifting her hair crazily.

Shielding the purple candle with her hand she ran to Shaunee.

"Fire! I summon you to this circle!" Heat flared with the whirling air as she lit the red candle. Kuri didn't pause, but kept moving clockwise around the circle. "Water! I summon you to this circle!" The sea was there, salty and sweet at the same time.

"Earth! I summon you to this circle!" Kuri touched the flame to Rei's candle. She was abnormally pale, but she grinned when the air filled with the scent of freshly cut hay.

Jacob screamed again, and Kuri rushed back to the center of the circle and lifted the purple candle. "Spirit! I summon you to this circle!" Energy sizzled into her. Kuri glanced around at the boundary of my circle and, sure enough, she could see the ribbon of power marking its circumference. She closed her eyes for an instant. Oh, thank you, Selene!

Then Kuri put the candle down on the table and grabbed the goblet of bloody wine. She turned to face Jacob and the ghostly horde.

"Here is your sacrifice!" Kuri yelled, sloshing the liquid in the goblet in a messy arc around her, so that it made a blood-colored circle on the gazebo floor. "You weren't called here to kill. You were called here because it's Samhain and we wanted to honor you." Kuri spilled more wine.

The ghosts paused in their attack. Kuri focused on them, not wanting to distract myself with the terror and pain in Jacob's eyes.

"We prefer this warm young blood, Priestess." The eerie voice echoed up to her, sending chills over her skin. Kuri could smell his rotting flesh-scented breath.

Kuri swallowed hard. "I understand that, but those lives aren't yours to take. Tonight is a night for celebration, not for death."

"And yet we choose death—it is dearest to us." Ghostly laughter floated through the air with the tainted smoke of sweet grass, and the spirits began to converge again on Jacob.

Kuri threw down the goblet and raised her hands. "Then I'm not asking anymore; I'm telling you. Wind, fire, water, earth, and spirit! I command in Selene's name that you close this circle, pulling back to it the dead who have been allowed to escape. Now!"

Heat surged through her body and shot from her outstretched hands. In a rush of salt-scented wind that was burning hot, a shining green mist whooshed from me down the stairs to whip around Jacob, making his clothes and hair flap like mad. The magical wind caught the smoky shapes and tore them from their victims, and with a deafening roar, it sucked them back into the boundary of her circle.

Suddenly Kuri was surrounded by ghostly shapes, from which I could feel danger and hunger pulsing, as clearly as she had felt Jacob's blood earlier. Mana was curled up on the chair, cowering from the specters. One of them brushed against her and she let out a little shriek, which seemed to stir them up even more, and they pressed violently around Kuri.

"Kuri!" Rei cried her name, her voice shrill with fear. Kuri saw her take a hesitant step toward her.

"No!" Damien snapped. "Don't break the circle. They can't hurt Kuri—they can't hurt any of us, the circle is too strong. But only if we don't break it."

"We're not going anywhere," Shaunee called.

"Nope. I like it right here," Erin said, sounding only a little breathless.

Kuri felt their loyalty and trust and acceptance like a sixth element. It filled her with confidence. She straightened her spine and looked at the swirling, angry ghosts.

"So—we're not leaving. Which means you guys have got to go."

Kuri pointed down at the spilled blood and wine. "Take your sacrifice and get out of here. It's all the blood that is owed to you tonight."

The smoky horde paused in their seething. Kuri knew she had them. She drew a deep breath and finished it.

"With the power of the elements I command you: Go!"

Suddenly, as though an invisible giant slapped them down, they dissolved into the wine-soaked floor of the gazebo, somehow absorbing the blood-tinged liquid and making it disappear with them.

Kuri breathed a long, ragged sigh of relief. Automatically, she turned to Damien.

"Thank you, wind. You may depart." He started to blow out his candle, but didn't need to, a little puff of wind, which felt surprisingly playful, did it for him.

Damien grinned at her. And then his eyes got huge and round.

"Kuri! Your Mark!"

"What?" Kuri lifted her hand to her forehead. It tingled, as did the tattoos on her shoulders and her neck, and her back tingled and hummed. In fact, her whole body was still humming with the aftereffects of elemental power, so she hadn't even noticed it.

His shocked look changed to happiness. "Finish closing the circle. Then you can use one of Erin's many mirrors to see what's happened."

I turned to Shaunee to say good-bye to fire.

"Wow…amazing," Shaunee said, staring at her.

"Hey, how did you know I have more than one mirror in my purse?" Erin was complaining from across the circle at Damien when Kuri turned to her and sent water away. Her eyes got big when she caught a good look at me, too. "Holy shit!" she said.

"Erin, you really shouldn't curse in a sacred circle. You know it's not—"

Rei was saying when Kuri turned to say good-bye to earth, and her words were suddenly cut off as she gasped, "Oh, my goodness!"

Kuri sighed. Hell, what now? She went back to the table and lifted the spirit candle.

"Thank you, spirit. You may depart," Kuri said.

"Why?" Mana stood up so abruptly that she knocked over the chair. Like everyone else, she was staring at me with a ridiculously shocked expression. "Why you? Why not me?"

"Mana, what are you talking about now?"

"She's talking about this." Erin handed me a compact she pulled out of the chic leather purse she always had slung over her shoulder.

Kuri opened it and looked. At first she didn't understand what I was seeing—it was too foreign, too surprising. Then, from her side, Rei whispered, "It's beautiful…"

And Kuri realized she was right. It was beautiful. Her Mark had been added to. A delicate swirl of Celtic knot sapphire tattooing skittered down her spinal chord and back.

Kuri's mouth opened, but words wouldn't come out.

"Kuri, he needs help." Rei broke through her shock and she looked up from her view of her own back to see her stumbling into the gazebo, half carrying an unconscious Jacob.

"Whatever. Leave him here," Mana said. "Someone will find him in the morning. We need to get out of here."

"This whole thing, vampire, werewolf, priestess, or human is hard enough without someone like you. Unless we want to be your"—Kuri glanced up at Damien and smiled—"your sycophants, you make us feel like we don't belong—like we're nothing. That's over, Mana. What you did tonight was totally, completely wrong. You almost caused Jacob to die. And who knows who else, and it was all because of your selfishness."

"It wasn't my fault! You invited him!" she yelled.

"No, Jacob wasn't your fault, but that's the only thing that wasn't your fault tonight. It was your fault that your so-called friends wouldn't stand by you and keep the circle strong. And it was your fault that negative spirits found the circle to begin with." She looked confused, which pissed Kuri off even more. "Sage, you hateful hag! You're supposed to use sage to clear out negative energy before you use sweet grass. And it's not surprising that you drew such horrid spirits."

Grams stepped from the shadows and into the gazebo, moving quickly to Jacob. She lifted the torn legs of his jeans and examined the bloody marks there and on his arms.

Then she cupped his pale, rigid face in her hands and closed her eyes. Kuri watched his body stiffen even more and convulse, and then he sighed and he relaxed.

After a moment, he looked like he was sleeping peacefully instead of fighting silently against death. Still on her knees beside him, Grams said, "He will recover." She looked up at Kuri as she said the last of it, her eyes kind and filled with understanding.

"Thank you," Kuri whispered.

Grams nodded slightly to me, before she stood to confront Mana.

"I am as responsible for what happened here tonight as you are. I have known for years of your selfishness, but I chose to overlook it, hoping that age and the touch of the Goddess would mature you. I was wrong." Grams' voice took on the clear, powerful quality of a command. "Mana, I officially release you from your position as High Priestess of the Quileute. You are now no different than any other trainee." With one swift movement, Grams reached out, grasped the silver and garnet necklace of rank that dangled between Mana's breasts, and tore it from her neck.

Mana didn't make a sound but her face was chalky and she stared unblinkingly at Grams.

The High Priestess turned her back on Mana and approached me. "Kuri, I knew you were special from the day Selene let me foresee that you would be Marked." She smiled at Kuri and put a finger under her chin, turning her around so she could get a better look at the new addition to her Mark. Kuri heard the tribe gasp as they, too, got their first look at her unusual Marks. "Extraordinary, truly extraordinary," Grams breathed, letting her hand fall back to her side as she continued. "Tonight you showed the wisdom of the Goddess's choice in gifting you with special powers. You have earned the position of High Priestess, through your Goddess-given gifts as well as through your compassion and wisdom." She handed me Mana's necklace. It felt heavy and warm in my hands. "Wear this more wisely than did your predecessor." Then she made a truly amazing gesture. Grams, High Priestess of Selene, saluted Kuri, fist crossed over her heart, head bowed formally, with the sign of respect. Everyone around us except Mana mimicked her.

Tears blurred Kuri's vision as her four friends grinned at her and bowed with the tribe.


	10. Death

"So are you ready for a great birthday party?" Edward asked.

Reiko rolled her eyes. "Couldn't you rein Kramisha in just this once?"

"No. Besides. You're gonna love what I got you. Grams actually lent us your house today for the party." Edward said.

"The shrine? But why?" Reiko said.

Edward was pulling her and covering her eyes and at last he let her see—a baby grand piano, in the middle of the shrine.

"I'm going to make a virtuoso out of you yet." Edward grinned.

Reiko whirled and kissed him hard, knocking what would have been breath out of him.

Kramisha and Emmett laughed at the display.

Reiko went and sat at the piano, eager to prove herself.

As the music played and everyone was giddy with excitement, a lone priestess stood at the head of the stairs. Mana looked darkly at Edward and beckoned him with her mind.

Xxx

"Mana, can't you just have fun at the party?" Edward said in a long-suffering voice.

Mana reminded him of his sister Aphrodite. Both were cold and unappealing, and both always believed they were right.

"I would have stood by and let this happen, except...you were there at the Harvest Festival." Mana said. "You saw that she is Chosen."

"I thought you were their High Priestess?" Edward arched an eyebrow.

"It isn't that simple." Mana said. "There is something different this time. And it's bigger then the petty dalliance between a leech and a silly girl."

Edward paused, reading her thoughts, though it was difficult. As a priestess she was guarded from his power. From what he gathered, she was not lying, something evil was coming, and Reiko would die if something wasn't done.

"What can I do?" Edward surrendered finally.

"Disappear." Mana said. "If you go, then wolf's time will end, and the curse will go unfulfilled. If you go, I don't have to watch her die."

Pain crossed his face before Edward quickly rearranged it.

Edward nodded, and went down to the party.

Xxx

The next morning dawned with the Hikawa shrine in rags from the party.

Reiko bounded downstairs and set to cleaning.

It took a few moments, but she began to notice that her gifts were gone. Pictures, music...the piano.

All gone.

Edward stood by the house. Reiko hurried toward him, but slowed when she saw his cold, distant face; an unreadable mask.

"Walk with me?" Edward said.

Edward gently took her hand. Dread filled her, but she let him guide her toward the woods...

Xxx

Edward stopped by a fallen tree and turned to Rei.

"We need to leave Forks." Edward said.

"What? Why?" Rei said.

"It's time. Larten's supposed to be ten years older than he looks; people will start noticing." Edward said.

"But... when?" Rei said.

"Now." Edward said.

Rei reeled, trying to take this in.

"I'll have to think of something to tell Grams, but I can be ready -" Rei said.

"Not you. Us." Edward said.

"I belong with you." Rei said.

"You don't." Edward said.

"I'm coming." Rei said.

"I don't want you to come!" Edward said.

Rei was stung, as if slapped.

"You don't... want me." Rei said.

"No." Edward said.

She stepped back. Trying to understand this.

"I'd like to ask one favor though." Edward said.

"Anything." Rei looked up, hopeful

"Don't do anything stupid or reckless - do you understand?" Edward said. "... for Grams' sake. Just... take care of yourself."

"I... yes... I will." Rei said.

He softened ever-so-slightly.

"Don't worry. You're human. Time heals all wounds for your kind. Particularly if you're not reminded." Edward said.

Desperation welled up in her, overwhelming dignity.

"No, this is - don't do this. Please." Rei said.

He saw she wouldn't let go easily. Took a breath. His face turned cold again.

"Try to understand. Every second with you is about restraint. You're too fragile. I'm tired of pretending to be something I'm not. Reining myself in so I can be with a human." Edward said.

"Then take my soul. I don't care! I don't want it without you -" Rei said.

"You're not good for me, Rei." Edward said.

Rei looked at him. His hard face. His resolve.

"I've let it go on too long. I'm sorry." Edward said.

Tears stung Rei's eyes. This couldn't be happening. He stepped forward... kissed her forehead. She closed her eyes.

"I promise, it will be like I never existed. Goodbye, Rei." Edward said.

And here, for the first time, it was revealed how truly agonizing this really was for Edward. But Rei didn't see.

By the time she opened her eyes - he was gone. She spun

"Wait." Rei said.

She saw a leaf fluttering to the ground where he grazed a branch; the only indication of his direction. She hurried down the path, then ran.

"Edward?!" Rei said.

Rei kept running, going deeper into the woods...

Rei ran through the woods, searching, reminiscent of her dream. It got darker and darker, until it was deep into night. Rei had sharp desperate breaths, coughing, blood dripping from her mouth.

Rei tripped. Fell to the damp forest floor. She looked up, the trees spinning around her...

She remained on the ground. Curled into a ball. Darkness shrouded her. Devastation paralyzed her.

She was numb. Her name was being called in the distance. A search party. She was too

wrecked to respond.

Rain began to pour; she didn't register it...

Rei, lay there, dazed. She began to hear an animal snuffling. It got closer. It sounded large. Scary. Then she heard a whisper.

"Move, Rei." She heard Edward say.

She lifted her head, looked for Edward... but saw something else instead

A dark shape, huge, black. Nearing. Its eyes reflected light for a split second; they were inhuman, savage.

Rei, terrified, managed to drag herself to a cluster of trees. She squeezed between them. Breathing hard. She closed her eyes, trying to disappear...

Rei's eyes opened later to find herself floating several feet above the ground. Trees passed by. She was being carried...

Xxx

Half the town was gathered - a tired rescue party that included Damien, Erin, Shaunee, Kuri and Jacob.

Grams, beside herself with worry, pored over a map with Dervish Black and Quileute Harry Clearwater.

"I'll call the Cullens again. Her note said she and Edward went for a walk." Grams said.

"They left town, Kaori." Dervish said.

"Hospital said Doc Cullen got a big job somewhere else." Harry said.

Harry put a reassuring hand on Grams's shoulder.

"We'll find her, Grams." Harry said.

Grams was glad for the comfort of his two friends.

"Grams!" Jacob said.

Grams spun to where Jacob pointed.

Grubbs Uley, 20, emerged, a tall, strong Quileute Indian with cropped hair and a fierce expression. He was carrying Rei.

"It's Grubbs Uley. He found her." Dervish said.

Grams bolted to her; she had never moved faster in her life.

She wrapped her arms around Rei, lifting her from Grubbs's arms.

"Thank you, Grubbs. Thank God." Grams said.

Grams carried Rei to the house, cradling her. Harry and Dervish gave Grubbs a nod of praise and gratitude. But Grubbs backed away, avoiding any accolades.

Jacob jogged alongside Grams, peering at Rei with worry. Then Jacob slowed, feeling eyes on his back... he turned to see Grubbs Uley staring at him. Jacob, uncomfortable, quickly looked away.

Grams started carrying Rei up the stairs to the house.

"What were you thinking, Baby? Why were you out there?" Grams asked.

"He's... gone." Rei said.

Then Kuri smelled it, and it was like she slammed into an invisible wall. The scent of blood washed over her, horrible. Kuri stopped and closed her eyes. Maybe if she stayed very still and didn't open them she could convince herself that this was all just a bad dream, that I would wake up in a few hours.

Kuri felt an arm go around her, and still she didn't move.

"She needs you, Kuri." Damien's voice was shaking only a little. Kuri opened her eyes then and stared at him. He was already crying.

"I don't think I can do this."

His grip on her shoulders tightened. "Yes, you can. You have to."

"Sister!" Rei sobbed.

Without another thought, Kuri wrenched herself from Damien's arm and ran to her sister. She was on her knees clutching the blood-soaked towel to her chest. She coughed and gagged again, and more blood sprayed from her mouth and nose.

"Get me more towels!" Kuri snapped to Erin, who was sitting white-faced and silent beside Rei. Then she crouched in front of Rei. "It's going to be okay. I promise. It's going to be okay."

Rei was crying, and her tears were tinged red. She shook her head. "It's not. It can't be. I'm dying." Her voice was weak and gurgled as she tried to speak through the blood hemorrhaging in her lungs and throat.

"I'm staying with you. I won't let you be alone," Kuri said.

Rei grasped Kuri's hand and she was shocked by how cold hers was. "I'm scared, Sis."

"I know, I'm scared, too. But we'll get through this together. I promise."

Erin handed me a pile of towels. Kuri took the blood-soaked towel from Rei's hands, then she started wiping her face and mouth with a clean one, but she started coughing again and Kuri couldn't keep up. There was just too much blood. And now Rei was shaking so hard that she couldn't hold a towel herself. With a cry, Kuri pulled her onto her lap and wrapped her arms around her, and like she was a child again, Kuri began rocking her, telling her over and over that it would be all right, that she wouldn't leave her.

"Kuri, this might help." Kuri forgotten that there were other people there, so Damien's voice surprised her. Kuri looked up to see that he was holding the relit green candle that represented earth. Then somehow, in the midst of my fear and despair, her instinct kicked in and she suddenly felt very calm.

"Come down here, Damien. Hold the candle close to her."

Damien dropped to his knees, and oblivious to the growing pool of blood that surrounded us and soaked us, he pressed close to Rei, holding the candle in front of her face. Kuri felt more than she saw Erin and Shaunee kneel on either side of me, and she drew strength from their presence.

"Rei, open your eyes, honey," Kuri said softly.

With a nasty, gurgling breath, Rei's eyelids fluttered open. The whites of her eyes were totally red and more pink tears leaked down her colorless cheeks, but her eyes caught on the candle, and they held.

"I call the element earth to us now." Kuri's voice strengthened and got louder as she spoke. "And I ask that earth be with this very special priestess, Rei Hikawa, who has been so newly gifted with an affinity for the element. Earth is our home—our provider—and earth is where we will all someday return. Tonight I ask that earth hold and comfort Rei, and make her journey home a peaceful one."

With a rush of fragrant air we were suddenly enveloped in the scents and sounds of an orchard. Kuri smelled apples and hay, and heard birds chirping and bees buzzing.

Rei's reddened lips tilted up. Her eyes never left the green candle, but she whispered, "I'm not scared anymore, Sis."

Then Kuri heard the front door burst open and Grams was there crouched beside me. She started to move Damien and the Twins out of the way and take Rei from my arms.

Kuri voice blasted the room with its power, and she saw even Grams jerk back with surprise. "No! We stay with her. She needs her element and she needs us."

"Very well," Grams said. "It's very nearly over anyway. Help me get her to drink this so that her "passing will be painless."

Kuri was going to take the vial filled with milky liquid from her when Rei spoke with surprising clearness. "I don't need it. Since earth came there hasn't been any pain."

"Of course there hasn't been, child." Grams touched Rei's blood-smeared cheek and Kuri felt her body relax and stop trembling completely. Then the High Priestess looked up. "Help Kuri lift her onto the stretcher. Keep them together. Let's get her to the shrine." Grams told her.

I nodded. Strong hands gripped Rei and , and in moments Kuri was placed on the stretcher with Rei still in my arms. Surrounded by Damien, Shaunee, Erin, and Jacob, they were carried swiftly out into the night. Later, Kuri remembered so many weird things about the short trip from the forest into the shrine—how it was snowing heavily, but that it seemed none of the flakes touched us. And it seemed abnormally quiet, as if the earth were holding itself still because it was already mourning. Kuri kept whispering to Rei, telling her that everything was okay, and that there was nothing to be scared of. Kuri remember her leaning forward and vomiting blood over the side of the stretcher and how the scarlet drops looked against the clean white of the new-fallen snow.

Then they were inside the infirmary, and lifted off the stretcher onto a bed. Grams gestured for her friends to move close to them. Damien crawled up beside Rei. He was still holding the lit green candle, and he lifted it so that if she opened her eyes again, Rei would see it. Kuri drew a deep breath. The air around them was still filled with apple blossoms and birdsong.

Then Rei opened her eyes. She blinked a couple times, looking confused, then she looked up at me and smiled.

With obvious effort, Rei opened her eyes again and looked around at Damien, Shaunee, and Erin. "Y'all stick with Kuri. Don't let anything pull you apart."

"Don't worry," Damien whispered through his tears.

"We'll take care of her for you," Shaunee managed to say. Erin was clutching Shaunee's hand and crying hard, but she nodded in agreement and smiled at Rei.

"Good," Rei said. Then she closed her eyes. "Sis, I think I'm gonna sleep for a while now, 'kay?"

"Okay, honey," Kuri said.

Her eyelids lifted once more and she looked up at Kuri. "Will you stay with me?"

Kuri hugged her closer. "I'm not going anywhere. You just rest. We'll all be right here with you."

"'Kay ..." she said softly.

Rei shut her eyes. She took a few more gurgling breaths.

Then Kuri felt her go completely limp in her arms and she didn't breathe again. Her lips opened just a little, as if she was smiling. Blood trickled from her mouth, her eyes, nose, and ears, but Kuri couldn't smell it. All she could smell were the scents of the earth. Then, with an enormous rush of meadow-filled wind, the green candle went out, and Kuri's sister died.

And in an ironic twist of fate, she felt a painful shiver all over her body. When she looked in the mirror later she would find that all the Celtic knots had come undone, a symbol of the death of a sister.


	11. Funeral

It was time for the funeral ritual.

This Ritual was performed outside in an area as unpopulated by humans as possible, and took place within three days of her sisters death. To honor the bond between two sisters, everyone attending the Ritual was dressed in beautiful robes before they came to the circle.

On the table in the center of the circle were representations of Rei: pictures, her favorite things, an offering of a special food she liked, etc., as well as a braided rope of sweetgrass and a white sage smudge stick. Inside the circle in front of the earth candle there was placed a green bowl filled with pure water.

After the circle was cast, Kuri lit the sweetgrass braid. Walking deosil around the table, she wafted the smoking braid through the air saying:

"Rei, with equal parts love and sadness I call you to me one last time."

Kuri continued calling her sister until she felt her spirit presence. At that time she paused the Ritual and reassured the little spirit that she was still greatly beloved, and would never be forgotten. These words were very private. After Kuri felt she had reassured her sister's spirit, she lit the smudge stick and continued saying:

"As a child of the Goddess, I know that when a being dies, the soul lives on. That dying is only a way of forgetting pain and suffering—that it is a pathway to travel back to the Goddess to be renewed and made strong—to rest and to one day be ready to return to this realm, for it is spoken by the High Priestesses thus:

Arrayed in a new body another mother may someday give birth so that with stronger limbs and brighter mind the old soul shall take the road to earth again.

But for this belief to be made reality, you cannot languish here. You must depart this realm to join Selene in the Otherworld."

Kuri walked to the northernmost part of the circle and stood with the smudge stick in front of the lighted, green earth candle. Breathing deeply of the cleansing sage, she smudged herself, from toe to head, and then using the smoking sage as a wand, Kuri traced the sacred pentagram in the air before her three times as she recites:

"My sister, I thank you for the years of love and laughter you gave me. My sister, I will hold your memory in my heart always. My sister, I ask you now to forget your broken shell and your worries for me. I bid you in the name of Selene to pass from this realm, to go beyond, to rest and to enjoy frolicking in the meadows of the Goddess.

Kuri then poured the bowl of water in a circle around the earth candle saying, "With this offering to the earth and with love and the fullness of my memories, I release you and bid merry meet, merry part, and merry meet again!"

Kuri and those in attendance then saw a shining door just outside the northernmost part of the circle. The glowing door opened to reveal a beautiful meadow filled with waving grass, and the small, bright spirit of Rei leapt joyfully through the door, which closed softly behind her.

The Ritual was over. One of Kuri's friends closed the circle, allowing Kuri the opportunity to spend those moments grieving and remembering.


	12. Reborn

Kuri was in tears as she flipped through the Grimoire, sitting in the basement beside Reiko's corpse. She cants the Dominus Trinus spell, hoping that Reiko would return.

"Audite verba maleficas

Arcana nocte absconditus.

Vetustissima dii allegatur,

Magnum opus magicas quaeritur.

Hac nocte in hanc horam

Antiqua munia invocabo.

Tres sorores suas, ut nos vestris: Afferte,

Facultas desit, nobis potestas."

A candle flickered. She was surrounded by herb jars, chalices and other ritualistic items. She looked up and closed her eyes. She kept her eyes closed for a prayerful beat, then she opened them, looked at the candle, but saw nothing. Blindly determined, she started flipping through pages until she found another spell, To Call a Lost Priestess. She expertly found and mixed certain ingredients {rosemary, cypress, yarrow root} into a silver bowl as she chanted from the book.)

"Potestas Et pavet Haemonias ortum.

Latet utique per aetheres.

Veni ad nos, et nos beatos vos prope est.

Veni ad nos, et habitatores hic."

Then, she found an athame and sliced the left finger of her left hand so that blood can symbolically spill directly from her heart and into the bowl.

"Et sanguis sanguinem meum et vocavi te.

Et sanguis sanguinem: revertere ad me."

A faint gust of wind flickered the candle, but not much else. She buried her face in her hands in defeat.

"Kuri?" Mana said. Kuri looked up, hopeful.

"Reiko?" Kuri looked at the candle. Mana entered, wearing her nightclothes and jacket. She had a tear-stained face.

"Sweetie, it 4 o'clock in the morning. What are you doing?" Mana said. Kuri didn't answer, just stared blankly at the book. Mana noticed Kuri's bleeding and gets a towel "You're bleeding."

Kuri didn't notice, didn't care. Mana found a clean cloth, took Kuri's hand and wrapped the wound.

"I don't understand why magic can't fix this. And why we can't bring Reiko back. It's not like we haven't cheated death before. I don't understand why this time isn't any different." Kuri said.

"Because we can't heal the dead, Kuri. You know that." Mana said.

"There's other magic, magic that we've used before." Kuri flipped through the pages and fought the tears. "Scrying, calling a lost miko, reversing time." She closed the Grimoire. She stood up. "It's like the book just deserted us and deserted Reiko, and I don't understand why."

Mana took Kuri's other hand, held them both, shared her pain.

"We lost our sister. How can we ever understand that?" Mana paused. "We've tried every magical way to bring her back… but we can't. She's gone." Their eyes welled up as they faced the harsh reality, then they fell into each other's arms. It was a nightmare neither one of them could ever wake up from. "I just - I thank God that I didn't lose you too." Mana gave her a little kiss. She broke the hug. She sighed. "We have to get some rest. Reiko will never forgive us if we look bad at her funeral."

Kuri couldn't help but smile through the tears at that. She stood, looked down at the Grimoire one last time before closing it. Arm-in-arm, they exited, shutting the door behind them. After a moment, a mysterious wind blew on the Grimoire. The symbol, the triquetra, on the cover began to glow. The mysterious wind re-opened the book and magically turned to the pages to the last spell Kuri tried to cast, "To Call a Lost Priestess..."

Mana went back upstairs. The wind continued to blow throughout the basement.

There was a swift sound of something moving on the pedestal where Reiko's corpse lay.

Kuri whirled—and was descended upon in a whirl of blood and darkness.

The last thing in her vision was red—red eyes, and a shining red crescent tattoo, emblazoned on the reborn Reiko's forehead.

Blood

As Kuri woke, she shivered. She felt very cold, and weak.

Shuddering in the corner was a shadow, whimpering and sobbing.

Kuri searched her memory. She had seen Reiko, moving, and lunging for her, attacking.

Had her magic created some kind of abomination?

Kuri stood shakily. She felt sad. So very very sad. Guilty, shameful, sorrow.

As she stepped closer the feelings deepened, agonizing her heart.

"Reiko?" Kuri whispered. "It's me. Your sister."

She turned on the light.

Howling, Reiko receded into the corner.

Her eyes red as blood, her skin very pale.

Kuri turned off the light and lit the candles. The howling stopped.

Kuri stepped close and embraced her sister. "You drank my blood."

Another cringe.

She pulled Reiko to her feet and led her to the Book. It had fallen to the floor, open to the page: 'Imprint.'

An imprint is formed when a being finds their true mate. However, a similar, dependent bond can be made through blood. This blood imprint becomes a strong bond that cannot break and must be fed with blood.

Reiko's hands went to her lips and she sank in a heap on the floor, apologizing over and over.

"I'm...so...sorry..."


	13. Complications

Mana, where is Kuri." Jacob said harshly. "I haven't seen her since the funeral. Come on, I know you know something!"

"I really don't." Mana said coldly. "Kuri stays in the tomb all the time now. She just can't move on. They were close after all."

"Where's the tomb. I want to see her!" Jacob said.

"Jake." Sam exited the shrine. "That isn't the best idea. You should get home, Dervish is probably worried sick."

"Shut UP Sam!" Jacob said. "Why doesn't anyone care?! Isn't she one of your precious priestesses? Why did you just let Reiko die?!"

"It's not like we didn't try." Mana said. "Reiko rejected her life as one of us. Threw in her lot with...others. You don't understand."

"Your right he doesn't." Sam said. "We should go."

Sam pulled her from the shrine as Jake stormed to the entrance to the cellar.

He had to find Kuri.

Xxx

Kuri was feeding Reiko again.

Though she had grown pale and weak, Kuri was managing somehow to get food and water.

Mana and Grams knew what was going on and didn't approve but couldn't let either of them die.

Kuri jumped as she heard the door creak, and the same time Reiko sank her fangs in again.

She looked up, expecting Mana or Grams.

Staring at her, face twisted in fury, was Jacob Black.


	14. Transformation

Kuri watched as Jacob's body twisted and turned into that of a great wolf.

Luckily the cellar was rather large and he didn't hurt either of them.

Jake growled and snarled and Kuri and Reiko.

He lunged toward Reiko.

He could feel that Kuri and Reiko had a bond in blood and somehow that infuriated him.

Suddenly Kuri stood in front of Reiko, arms outstretched.

Jacob's eyes met hers and then he heard a mournful cry from Reiko as she crumpled up.

Kuri winced slightly, and Jacob whimpered, leaning forward to lick her face.

She jerked back, moved away from him.

He could not bear it.

_Come back,_ he thought. _I need to be with you._

"Go to Sam!" Kuri shouted in a raw voice.

The large Wolf whimpered again.

_No! I want to be by your side! _

"_GO!"_ Kuri shouted, and the word held such strength and power of a priestess that Jacob was compelled to leave her side, and return to the wolves.

Kuri and Reiko sank into each other's arms, in tears.

Xxx

Edward Cullen reeled at what Kramisha had seen.

Reiko, dead in the forest.

Not long after they had left.

This was all his fault.

He could not live in a world where she didn't exist.

Edward wanted to die too.


	15. Shattered

Reiko. Reiko wake up!" Kuri shook her sister.

Though the rabid, vampiric look had faded suddenly from her face, Reiko had been unconscious since Jake had interrupted them before.

Kuri was painfully aware that she could no longer hear Reiko's thoughts and feelings.

Kuri closed her eyes.

_**What the hell do they mean...can't imprint on Kuri?!...she can't already have an imprint...doesn't make sense...!**_

The thoughts she was hearing were jumbled up, angry and worried.

Kuri looked down at Reiko, tears in her eyes.

"Your imprint with her shattered because Jacob imprinted on you." Mana was standing at the door. "Sam is explaining to Jacob. I tried to warn you."

"Shut up Mana." Kuri said. "If you had done something to help. You, me, Grams—three priestesses—our powers would have been strong enough to help her!"

"She turned into a leech!" Mana snarled.

"SHE'S YOUR SISTER!" Kuri growled back. "But you...you've always been better than the rest of us, haven't you Mana. I'm not letting her die because of me!"

"She is not your concern anymore. If they come for her, she might live. If not...there's no hope for her. She needs a leech, not a priestess." Mana turned and walked away.

Xxx

So Kuri took her now human looking sister back up to the house and put her to bed.

Was Reiko still a vampire? She didn't look like the others...and the crescent on her forehead was filled in now, though it was red.

She heard tapping at her window.

_Jake..._

At the same moment she was alerted to the sound of a particularly fancy car pulling up the driveway.

_Cullens..._

"Edward!" Reiko was sitting straight up in bed.

Her forehead mark had changed again; around the crescent were vines and flowers.

She had _Changed._

Reiko was a High Priestess.

High Priestess to the Vampires.


	16. Imprint

Kuri!" Jake leapt in thought the window.

One look at her and he had a big sappy grin on his face.

Kuri laughed at his expression. "Lemme guess you're the Big Bad Wolf."

Jake growled in response, making Kuri laugh again.

Suddenly he paused and sniffed the air. "Leeches. Stay here Kuri."

"No Jake." Kuri said. "This isn't about us. This is Reiko's family and we can't hurt them. Kramisha is here about Edward."

Jake growled again, only this time there was no humor in it. "Don't you get it?! You're my _world! _I have to protect you from the leeches...even from Reiko, now that she is one!"

Kuri clenched her fists. "You can't expect me to abandon my sister!"

Jake backed away. "I still can't believe you imprinted on her! You and I are supposed to...to..."

His words died in a face full of hurt.

Kuri touched his shoulder. "Jake you broke the imprint. It almost killed her. And then Kramisha came just now and she remembered Edward, and she was able to cling on to her life. I almost lost her once. I am _not _going to lose her again."

"So what happens now?" Jake demanded.

"I say goodbye. She's made her choice; she's going to him now. I say goodbye and I join you. She's made her choice and I've made mine." Kuri said. "I'll prove it to you. When I finish my goodbye I'll look up at you from the doorway. Then you'll understand."

Xxx

Kuri descended the stairs and interrupted the conversation between Kramisha and Reiko.

"Let me say goodbye." Kuri said.

Kramisha nodded and went outside.

Kuri pulled her sister into a hug. "Nothing has ever been more beloved, more joyful, then taking care of you. But now I want you to find your happy ending."

"And you find yours. He's waiting up there for you. Jake's been crazy for you ever since you met. He loves you. Be good to him." Reiko said.

"Don't bite anyone." Kuri giggled. "Goodbye."

She looked up at Jake, and he realized with a start that her mark had filled in and around it were howling wolves, that looked very familiar.

He blushed.

His Wolf Priestess.


	17. Vampire Priestess

Reiko entered Volterra. She had insisted on her own wardrobe, and Grams had provided.

She wore a long, trailing, almost Greek garment. Her red tattoos stood out on her now pale, icy caramel face.

Her body was beautiful, graceful, perfect. She was the vampire of vampires.

Kramisha was at her side, fussing over her hair.

She saw Edward before he saw her. She could sense him, not by scent, but by the inexorable bond that tied them together.

She didn't dare call out, draw attention to him.

Reiko panicked.

And then the world stood still.

All of Volterra was frozen.

Only she and Edward continued to move.

He looked around in wonder as the world stood still for his suicide. Then he saw the only movement, a flash faster than any other vampire, as she slammed into him with incredible force, eyes and tattoo red as the blood that used to entice him so.

He felt a pang of sorrow that she had become a monster like him; this must have been the death Kramisha saw. He wanted to cry.

"Reiko...why did you...?" Edward breathed into her hair.

Her scent. It was the same. So soft, sweet...human. Her skin just barely glinted in the sunlight, and in the shadows she seemed to all but vanish.

"I don't understand...what...are you...?" Edward breathed. He could feel her heart beating.

"I'm a Vampyre. A Vampyre priestess. A child of Night." Reiko whispered. "You are not permitted to die until I do."

Edward chuckled. "You should have communicated better. I thought you were dead."

Reiko punched his chest, and Edward lost his breath. "No more running away. Coward."

If he could have, Edward would have blushed. Maybe he was a coward. "You make me want to be brave."

"You'll need that courage, Edward. The Volturi wants to meet their Priestess." Kramisha burst in. "Hurry."


	18. Volturi

Edward, Reiko and Kramisha were presented before the Volturi.

Lilith, their leader, leaned forward.

Lilith had long silver hair, a pale face, and eyes that were so grey they matched her hair.

"Welcome my friends. It seems that Reiko is alive after all."

"What is that mark on her face?" Duantia asked.

Duantia was as dark as Lilith was light. Her skin was caramel colored, her eyes were fathomless, and her hair was braided and dark.

"Could it really be her?" Shekinah said. "The priestess?"

Shekinah was the darkest of all, her skin the color of night, eyes a shocking blue color, and hair whiter than Lilith's.

"Come to me, child." Lilith said.

Edward lunged to protect her.

Standing at the edge of the room were the twins Elliot and Dallas. Both had brown hair, pale skin, green eyes, and freckles. They looked like an innocent pair of school children who had wondered in.

But Dallas glared at Edward, and he fell to the floor convulsing in pain.

"No! No stop!" A shockwave of power radiated from Reiko's voice.

Dallas stopped as she ordered, as if compelled to by the power of her voice alone.

"Extraordinary." Lilith said. "And you became one of us all on your own, did you?"

"I became a vampyre through my sisters blood." Reiko snapped. "Through priestess blood."

Lilith took her hand, seeing her mind. "Such an...interesting...origin. Yet you have no wish to rule over us?"

Lilith phrased it like a comment, not a question, and Edward knew they were free. The Volturi did feel threatened by Reiko's power over them; but as she did not plan to take control, they would rather not fight a losing battle.

"Go now." Lilith said. "There will be much more for us to discuss next time."

Edward hesitated, but Reiko took his hand and Kramisha's and led them back to the car.

When he looked at her to question her, Reiko's face was a mask of pain.

"Don't ever let me see you hurt like that again."

She understood now why he wanted to die when he thought she hand. Reiko kissed him.


	19. Premontion

**Kuri**

Kuri was idly watching the news, waiting for Jacob to pick her up.

"And in other news, there has been a third death in Chicago, this time an older man. So far there is no connection in the victims, but it is the same M.O. and seems to be the work of a serial killer...this is Yukiru Sugisaki, for Action News."

Mana smirked and sat beside her on the couch. "Yknow it seems like someone's been busy."

"What do you want Mana." Kuri said in a weary voice.

"It's obvious that you're the one who's been having fun in Chicago. The question is, does Daddy know you're about to let him loose against the Quiluete." Mana chuckled.

Kuri stood up, furious. "You don't know a damn thing!"

She stormed out, going into the bathroom.

She looked over her body, trying to see some sign.

Had she been going on midnight jaunts to Chicago? Killing people, preparing for the Ritual?

But...blood of the imprint. Was Jacob in danger because of her?!

"Kuri." Reiko stood in the doorway. "You had a death glare when you left the room. Mana said something?"

"She just...pointed out that those murders...could be preparation." Kuri looked up at her sister, frightened. "You don't think I..."

"Sometimes you sound remarkably like Edward." Reiko said. "Unable to forgive yourself."

Reiko rested a hand on her sister's head. "Even if Sadako has done something, you will stop her. Your heart is stronger than she is. Anyway I...have some news."

"What sort of news?" Kuri asked curiously.

"Edward proposed." Reiko said. "I...told him I have to think about it."

"What's there to think about?" Kuri asked. "You love him!"

"Yes but I...am a vampyre." Reiko said. "And yet still a Priestess. I want...I want the Quiluete to acknowledge me."

Kuri bit her lip. "You still have your power don't you. You feel bound to the tribe, despite everything."

"I do. I don't know why. I can't be Edward's wife and a tribal priestess." Reiko said. "I want to cast a circle, prove to them who I am, and together...we will dispel the curse on this land. Then we will all be free. Even you."

Kuri sighed. "This isn't a request is it. You've already talked to the Circle."

Reiko beamed.

"Trickster!"


	20. Council

Behind Jacob's house, there was a bonfire, and around it was the Council of Elders.

A group was gathered around the fire, eating hot dogs, laughing. Billy sat at the natural head of the circle. Old Quil, Quil's ancient grandfather sits on one side of him, Sue Clearwater on the other. The three council leaders.

The whole pack was there; Paul, Quil, Embry, Jared, and Sam, with Mana at his side. Leah sullenly stares into the fire. Meanwhile, a young Quileute girl about Quil's age was definitely giving him the eye.

Across the sand – Jacob lead Kuri toward roaring fires.

"You sure this is okay? I really hate being a party crasher."

"This is where you belong." Jacob said comfortingly. "Your my Priestess. This is a Council Meeting. See. The Council leaders, Dad, Quil's grandpa, and Sue Clearwater. She took over for Harry when he died."

"Okay, I should not be here." Kuri noticed someone waving in the crown. "And Reiko should DEFINATELY not be here."

"You're okay. I thought... I mean, they thought it would be good for you three to hear the histories." Jacob admitted.

"The histories? The tribe's histories? Aren't they secret?" Kuri grinned at him.

"We all got a role to play. And you're a part of this. I mean, it's the first time Seth, Leah and Quil are hearing them, too. But it's the first time more than one Priestess is here." Jacob pointed out.

"Sounds like an ambush." Kuri shot back. "I should've brought back-up—my circle."

"Jake." They were interrupted by a gangly-limbed boy, Seth, 15, who trotted up like a puppy. He clearly idolized Jacob. "Hey. It's about time, you got here. Paul's been hoovering the grub. But, I saved you some burgers."

"Good looking out, Bro. Kuri, this is Seth Clearwater, Leah's brother. Newest member of my pack." Jacob said.

"Newest, bestest, brightest." Seth said proudly.

"And slowest." Jacob grabbed Seth in a headlock, the two tumbled to the sand. Seth laughed, absolutely loving this guy. A whistle came from the circle. It was Sam. Seth jumped up.

"Come on. Your dad's about to start." Seth said.

"Alright." Jacob said.

Seth dragged Jacob and Kuri toward the bonfire.

"Of all the legends of the Quileute, this is one of the most feared. That of the old God-Tree and what is sealed within. Long ago, when the Earth was new, the goddess that the Quileute worship, Selene, descended to earth often to be with her people. It was during one of her holy visits that she was defiled by an enemy named Raphael, an angelic demigod who dealt in shadows. When Selene fled in shame, the dark angel preyed on the Quiluete people, killing their men and raping their women. Most of the children of these unions were stillborn but those that survived were some creature between man and raven. Raven Mockers. The pain and torment of her people were too much for Selene to bear. She felt she was to blame. So she allowed her daughter Kaguya to return to the earth to vanquish her father with a weapon forged for sealing the black angel. Through her blood and her soul, the seal was made, and only through both, could it ever be broken again. However, within the soul of Kaguya was a dark spirit called Sadako. The enemy of all Quiluete, her one desire to free Raphael and take his power for her own."

Billy finished the story, and Mana stood up.

"The truth is, Sadako, the evil spirit that is the enemy of the Quiluete, and the only one that can release Raphael against our people..." Mana said.

Kuri's eyes widened. She wanted to run but her limbs were frozen fast.

"Dwells within the Priestess Kuri!" Mana accused.

"Its not true!" Jacob defended, furious.

Kuri put a hand on his shoulder, calming him. "No Jake. It's true. But I'm not the only one with something to prove to the tribe. Reiko too, wants to prove her worth as a priestess. Yes we are different. I am cursed, and Reiko is a vampire. Clearly we should be the enemy; however, we are loyal to the tribe! Give us a chance to prove our loyalty. Come back tomorrow night and we will call up a circle and break this curse, once and for all!"


	21. Breaking

**Kuri**

Kuri closed her eyes and began the deep breathing that would help her clear her mind and prepare herself for calling the elements and casting the circle.

As always, Kuri was a ball of nerves until she started toward the circle and the music filled her. Tonight the soundtrack of Memoirs of a Geisha was haunting and beautiful. Kuri lifted her arms and let her body move gracefully to the orchestra. Then Jacob's voice joined with the music and the night, creating magic.

"_Beneath the shining stars,_

_Beneath the gleaming moon,_

_When night has healed the scars_

_Of burning noon . . ."_

The words of the poem caught her, carrying her on a tide of Jacob's voice. Kuri flung back her head and let her hair fall around her as she moved slowly into the circle, weaving words with music and dance and magic.

"_And so, I say to you,_

_If hate possess your heart,_

_When day's hot strife is through_

_Bid hate depart . . ."_

Kuri moved unerringly around the circle, loving the perfection of the poem Jacob was reciting. The poem he'd chosen was about forgiveness and healing, and though it would be nice to think he meant some of it for me, Kuri knew that his first thought had been what would be best for the tribe who were trying to heal from the attacks by the Raven Mockers.

"_The disappointing day,_

_Whenever wrong, or how,_

_Is something passed away,_

_Is ended now._

_Forget, forgive, the scars,_

_And sleep will find you soon_

_Beneath the shining stars,_

_The gleaming moon."_

The poem ended as Kuri joined Jacob in the middle of the circle in front of Selene's table. Kuri looked up at him. He was tall and heart-stoppingly handsome dressed all in black, which complemented his dark hair and intensified his eyes.

He saluted her formally, bowing deeply with his right fist closed over his heart; then he turned to the table. When he came back to her, he was holding Selene's ornately decorated silver goblet in one hand, and a ceremonial knife in the other. It was sharp, wicked sharp, but it was also beautiful and had been carved with words and symbols that were sacred to Selene.

"You'll need this," he said, handing her the knife.

Kuri took it, disturbed by how the moonlight glinted off the blade, not having a clue what to do next. Thankfully, the music was still playing and the watching horde of people were swaying gently to the mesmerizing Geisha melody. In other words, they were watching them, but only with easy anticipation, and as long as we kept our voices low, they couldn't hear them. Kuri did glance at Damien, and he waggled his brows at her and winked. Kuri looked away fast.

"Kuri? You okay?" Jacob whispered. "You know it's not going to hurt me much at all."

"It's not?"

"You haven't done this before, have you?"

Kuri shook her head slightly.

He touched her cheek for just a second. "I keep forgetting how new you are to all of this. All right, it's easy. I'm going to hold my right hand out, palm up, over the goblet." He lifted the goblet, which he had already shifted to his left hand. Kuri could smell the red wine that almost filled it. "You lift the dagger over your head, salute all four directions with it, then slash my palm."

"Slash!" Kuri gulped.

He smiled. "Cut, slash, whatever. Just run the blade along the meaty part under my thumb. It's seriously sharp, so it'll do the work for you. I'll turn my hand and while you thank me in the name of Selene for my sacrifice to her, some of my blood will run into the wine. After a little while I'll close my fist, and that's when you take the goblet and walk to Damien so you can start casting the circle. Tonight you give each of the representatives of the elements a drink of the wine, ritualistically cleansing the elements before you do the big school cleansing part. Got it?"

"Yeah," Kuri said shakily.

"Better get going then. Don't worry. You'll do fine," he said.

Kuri nodded, and lifted the dagger over my head. "Wind! Fire! Water! Earth! I salute you!" Kuri said, turning the blade from east to south, west, and north as she called each element's name. Her nerves stated to fade as she could already feel the power of the elements building around her, eager to answer my coming summons. While she could still feel the echo of my salute, she brought the dagger down. She pressed the tip of it against the base of Jacob's thumb, which he held steadily for her, and then with one quick motion, sliced the deadly sharp blade across his palm, exactly where he'd told her to cut.

The scent of his blood hit her immediately. Transfixed, Kuri watched it bead, like ruby jewels, and then Jacob turned his hand so that they could fall into the waiting wine. Kuri looked up into his clear brown eyes.

"In Selene's name, I thank you for your sacrifice tonight and for your love and loyalty. You are blessed by Selene and beloved of her Priestess." And then Kuri bent and gently kissed the back of his bleeding hand.

When Kuri met his eyes again, she saw that they were unusually bright, and she thought his face was tender, his expression intimate, but she couldn't tell if he was just acting the part of Selene's consort, or if he was really experiencing the feelings he was showing her. He fisted his hand and saluted her again saying, "I am now, and always will be, loyal to Selene and to her High Priestess."

There wasn't any more time for Kuri to wonder whether he was talking about her, or whether he was just acting out the rest of his part. She had a job to do. So she took her goblet of wine and walked over to stand in front of Damien. He lifted his yellow candle and smiled at me.

"Wind, you are as dear to me and familiar as the breath of life. Tonight I need your strength to cleanse the stagnant breath of death and fear from us. I ask that you come to me, wind!" This ritual was a little different, and Damien had obviously been more forewarned than Kuri had been, so he was ready with a lighter to touch it to his candle. The moment it lit, we were surrounded in a mini-tornado of exquisitely controlled wind. Damien and Kuri grinned at each other, and then Kuri held the goblet up so he could sip from it.

Kuri moved clockwise, or deosil, around the circle to Shaunee, who was already holding her red candle up and smiling eagerly.

"Fire, you warm and cleanse. Tonight we need your cleansing power to burn the darkness from our hearts. Come to me, fire!" As per usual, no one needed to touch Shaunee's candle with a lighter, the wick burst into glorious flame all by itself as we were filled with warmth and the light of a guiding hearth fire. Kuri lifted the goblet for Shaunee, and she took her drink.

From fire Kuri moved to water and Erin holding her blue candle.

"Water, we go to you dirty and rise from you clean. Tonight I ask that you wash us free of any lingering taint that might want to cling to us. Come to me, water!" Erin lit her candle, and Kuri could hear the rush of waves against a beach and feel the coolness of dew against my skin. Kuri lifted the goblet for Erin, and after drinking, she whispered, "Good luck, Kuri."

Kuri nodded and moved resolutely to Aphrodite, who was looking pale and tense as she held the green candle she knew would zap her if we tried to call earth. "Where is she?" Kuri whispered, without hardly moving my lips.

Aphrodite made a nervous little shrug.

Kuri closed my eyes and prayed. Goddess, I'm counting on you to make this work. Or at least if I make a fool out of myself, I'm hoping you'll somehow get me out of it. Again.

When Kuri opened my eyes, her mind was made up. It didn't really change things if Reiko didn't show. She was going to tell everyone anyway. Some would believe her without proof. Some wouldn't. She'd take my chances on how things came down. She knew she was telling the truth, and so did her friends.

So instead of beginning my invocation of earth, she winked at Aphrodite and whispered, "Well, here we go," and turned around to face the circle and the questioning crowd of watchers.

"I need to invoke earth next. We all know that. But there's a problem. You all saw that Selene gifted Aphrodite with an affinity for earth. And she did. But it turns out the gift was just a temporary one because Aphrodite was keeping the element safe for the one who really represented earth, Reiko."

As soon as Kuri said her name, there was a fluttering movement in the big oak and the night-darkened boughs that spread over our heads, and then Reiko dropped gracefully from the branch above us.

"Dang, Kuri, it took you long enough to get to me," she said. Then she walked over to Aphrodite and took the green candle from her. "Thanks for keeping my place warm."

"Glad you could make it," Aphrodite said, and stepped aside so that Reiko could move into her place.

Reiko took the earth position, turned, and shaking her curly red hair back from her face, grinned out at everyone while the intricate pattern of vines and birds and flowers that made up her scarlet tattoo blazed as brightly as her smile. "Okay, now you can invoke earth."

Naturally all hell broke loose then. The pack shouted and started forward toward our circle. Some were crying out in shock.

"Ah, oh," Kuri heard Reiko whisper. "Better fix this, Kuri."

Kuri whirled around to face Reiko. With no time for niceties she said, "Earth, come to me!" For a second Kuri wanted to freak because I didn't have a lighter and neither did Reiko, but Aphrodite, cool as ever, leaned over, flicked the lighter she still held, and lit the candle. The scents and sounds of a summer meadow instantly surrounded them. "Here, have a drink." Kuri lifted the goblet, and Reiko took a big gulp. Kuri frowned a little at her.

Kuri rolled her eyes at her and jogged back to the center of the circle, where Jacob was gawking at Reiko. Kuri raised one arm over her head. "Spirit! Come to me," Kuri said without any preamble. As her soul quickened within her, Kuri took the ceremonial lighter from Selene's table and lit the purple spirit candle that waited there. Then she too, took a big gulp of the wine.

Filled with the exhilaration of wine and spirit, Kuri strode out. She couldn't have been prouder of her friends. They'd held steady to their places in the circle, lifting their candles and keeping control of their elements so that our circle stayed strong and unbreachable. Pacing around the circumference of the glistening thread of circle she'd just cast, she raised my voice and began to shout over the pandemonium that surrounded us.

"Quiluete tribe, listen to me!" Everyone fell silent when they heard the power of the Goddess magnifying her voice. Kuri almost fell silent, too, as shocked as she was by it. Instead she cleared her throat and began again, this time not having to Goddess-shout over a screaming horde. "Reiko did not die. She went through another kind of a Change. It was hard for her, and it almost cost Reiko her humanity, but she made it through, and now she is a new kind of Priestess." Kuri made my way slowly around the inside of the circle, trying to meet as many of the eyes as she could as she explained. "Selene never abandoned her, though. As you can see, she still has her affinity for earth, a gift given to her, and then given to her again by Selene."

"I do not understand. This child was a trainee who died and then was resurrected?" Sam had stepped forward and was standing near Reiko, staring hard at her.

Before Kuri could answer, Reiko spoke. "Yes. I did die. But then I came back, and when I did, I wasn't the same anymore. I'd lost myself, or at least most of myself, but Edward helped me to find myself again, and when I did, I also found I'd Changed into a different kind of Priestess." She pointed to her beautiful red tattoo.

Thousands of ravens crowded around the ancient oak. Instead of Kuri, there stood Sadako.

**Jacob**

She looked like an avenging goddess, and everyone was struck speechless at her raw beauty. Her smooth white shoulders were bared by an exquisite black silk dress that molded to her graceful body. Her thick black hair was free, tumbling in waves down around her slim waist. Her blue eyes flashed—her lips were the deep red of fresh blood

Sadako stood there her eyes focused on a small spot on the trunk. She raised Kiboken and stabbed through her own chest, eyes blissful and manic as the blood hit the trunk of the tree.

She closed her eyes and let her spirit leave her form, opening the final part of the seal.

_Blood and soul…_

"No!" screamed a heartbroken Jacob, falling on his knees in front of the tree. "Kuri!"

Slowly Kuri raised her head and looked at Jacob. Blood was pouring from her chest—more blood than he thought any one person could hold. It was soaking the ground around her, which was lumpy from the roots of the big oak. The blood mesmerized him. It looked like the earth at the base of the great oak was bleeding.

"No!" Jacob cried, and then the night exploded.

The ground beneath his feet, soaked through with Reiko's blood, began to shudder, rippling like it was no longer solid earth but had suddenly turned to water. Through panicked cries, Jacob heard Aphrodite's voice again, as calm as if she was only yelling at Damien and the Twins about their fashion choices.

"Move in to us, but don't break the circle!"

"Jake." Kuri gasped his name. She looked up at me with pain-filled eyes. "Listen to Aphrodite. Don't break the circle. No matter what!"

"But you're—"

"No! I'm not dying. I promise. She's just taken my blood, not my life. Don't break the circle." Jacob nodded, then stood up.

Stumbling over the shifting ground, Jacob staggered to Selene's table and caught Kuri's purple spirit candle just before it fell over and went out. Clutching it close to him, he turned my attention to Damien and the Twins. They were following Aphrodite's calm instructions and, in the midst of the screaming chaos that was outside our circle, they were walking slowly together, tightening the circumference of the silver thread toward Kuri, until we were all of us, Damien, the Twins, Aphrodite, and Jacob clustered together around Kuri.

"Start moving her away from the tree," Aphrodite said. "All of us, without breaking the circle. We need to head to the trapdoor in the wall. Now."

Jacob stared at Aphrodite, and she nodded solemnly. "I know what's going to happen next, and it's not going to be good."

"Then let's get out of here," Jacob said.

They started to move as a group, taking small steps over the bucking earth, having to be ultra-careful with Kuri and the candles and the circle that seemed so important to maintain. The pack should be in their way. At least Sam would have said something to them, but it seemed they existed in a weird little bubble of serenity amidst a world suddenly awash in blood and panic and chaos. They kept moving away from the tree, following the wall, slowly and carefully making progress. Jacob had noticed that the grass underneath their feet was smoother and completely dry of Kuri's blood.

The oak, with a horrible ripping sound, tore apart. Jacob had been walking backwards, helping to prop Kuri up from the front, so he had a clear view of the tree when it split. From underneath the middle of the destroyed oak a creature rose. At first all he saw were huge black wings that completely enfolded something. Then he stepped from the destroyed oak, straightening his mighty body and unfurling his night-colored wings.

Raphael's skin was smooth and completely unmarred, and was gilded with what looked like the kiss of the sun's loving rays. His hair was as black as his wings, and fell loose and thick around his shoulders, making him look like an ancient warrior. His face—was like a sculpture come to life, and it made even the most handsome mortal or god, look like a sickly, unsuccessful attempt at imitation of his glory. His eyes were the color of amber, so perfect, they were almost golden.

Jacob had stumbled to a stop, and he would have broken the circle right then, had Raphael not raised his arms and called in a voice that was deep and rich and full of power, "Arise with me, children!"

Raven Mockers burst from the hole in the ground and filled the sky, and it was the fear that filled Jacob at the sight of their terribly familiar misshapen bodies that broke the spell Raphael had cast on me. They shrieked and circled their father, who laughed and held his arms up higher so that their wings could caress him.

"We have to get out of here!" Aphrodite hissed.

"Yes, now! Hurry," Jacob said, totally himself again. The ground was no longer shaking, so they were able to increase our pace.

"I am Raphael, come to earth finally!" Raphael proclaimed. "Bow to Selene's consort, and your new Lord on earth."

"We're there!" Aphrodite said. "Get that damn door open now!"

"It is already open," said a familiar voice. Jacob glanced behind me at the wall to see Edward standing beside a cracked trapdoor that seemed to appear magically in the bricks and rock, eyes on Reiko.

"If you're with us, you have to be against them," Jacob told him, jerking his chin back toward the pack who filled the clearing and who were not making one move against Raphael.

"I've made my choice," said Edward.

"Can we please get out of here? She's looking at us!" Darius said.

"Kuri! You've got to buy us some time," Aphrodite said. "Use the elements—all of them. Shield us."

Kuri nodded and closed my eyes, centering herself. Vaguely in the back of her mind she knew Aphrodite was ordering around Jacob's pack and telling them to stay close, stay inside our circle, even if it was mushed and not really circle-shaped anymore as they crammed ourselves through the trees. But Kuri was only partly there. The rest of her was commanding wind, fire, water, earth, and spirit to cover them, protect them, to blot us from Raphael's view. As they hurried to obey her, Kuri felt a drain on my strength like I'd never known before. Of course she'd never tried to command all five of the elements at once to do such powerful work for me—it felt as if her mind, her will, was trying to sprint a marathon.

Kuri gritted her teeth and held on. The elements swarmed above and around them. She could hear the wind and smell the salt of ocean as a strong breeze swirled a thick mist around us. Then thunder rolled in the suddenly cloudy sky and with a crack! a shard of lightning sizzled down, hitting a tree a few yards in front of us. The tree seemed to expand as earth magnified it, so that she opened my eyes as Seth was guiding her backwards and through the trapdoor to see our little group completely shielded by the fury of the elements.

Kuri got one last glimpse of Raphael as he looked wildly around, clearly not wanting to believe that they had somehow escaped him. And then they exited the forest, sealing them out of the horrible scene.

"Okay, reform up the circle. Tighten it up. Twins! You're too close together. You're making it lopsided." Aphrodite was calling orders like a drill sergeant.

The Raven Mockers were everywhere. It was just after midnight New Year's Eve, and the creatures had their pickings of tipsy, celebrating humans who poured out of clubs and restaurants and beautiful old oil mansions because they'd heard the crackle and pop of the creatures' inhuman fire and, thinking the city had set off fireworks, rushed out to watch the show. Kuri wondered with oddly detached horror how many of them looked up at the sky only to have their last sight be terrible red eyes of men looking out at them from monstrous faces.

Before they'd reached the halfway point near Cincinnati and Thirteenth Kuri started hearing police and fire sirens, along with gunshots. Kuri wondered if modern weapons would make any difference to creatures born of magic and myth, and knew she wouldn't have to wonder long. Soon they'd all find out.

Within a block of the abandoned shrine, it began to rain a cold, miserable misty wetness that chilled us to the bone, but it did help to hide our little group even more from probing eyes—whether they were human or beast.

They hurried into the basement of the shrine, gaining entrance easily by swinging open a metal grate that looked deceptively well barred. As soon as the darkness of the basement swallowed them, they gave a group sigh of relief.

"Okay, now we can close the circle." Jacob said.

"Thank you spirit, you may depart," Kuri began. Kuri turned to Reiko. "I am grateful to you, earth, you may depart." Erin was on my left, and Kuri smiled through the darkness to her. "Water, you did well tonight. You may depart." Still turning to her left, Kuri found Shaunee. "Fire, thank you, please depart." Then Kuri closed the circle with the element that opened it. "Wind, you have my gratitude as always. You may depart." And with a little pop and sizzle, the silver thread that had bound them and saved them, disappeared.

Kuri gritted her teeth against the exhaustion that threatened to overwhelm me, and Kuri would have fallen had Jacob not grabbed her arm to steady her wobbly knees.

"Let's get down there. We're still not completely safe," Aphrodite said.

They all moved toward the rear of the basement to the drainage entrance Kuri knew hid a wide system of tunnels. Reentering these tunnels was as surreal an experience as the night had become.

Kuri's friends were waiting for her near the entrance. Kuri saw lights begin to flicker on down the tunnel that stretched, dark and intimidating, in front of them.

"I sent the pack ahead to get the lights on and stuff," Aphrodite said, then she glanced at Reiko. "The 'and stuff' being hustling to get some blankets and dry clothes."

"Good. That's good." Kuri forced herself to think through my exhaustion. The pack had already lit a few oil lanterns, the old-fashioned kind that could be carried around by swinging handles, and put them on hooks at about eye level, so it was easy to see the expression on Kuri friends' faces when they looked up at her. The same thing was on all their faces, even Aphrodite's. They were afraid.

Please Selene, Kuri sent up one fervent, silent prayer, give me strength and help me to say this right because how we begin here is going to set the tone for how we live here. Please don't let me mess up.

Kuri didn't get a wordy answer, but she did get a rush of warmth and love and confidence that made her heart take a little stutter beat and filled her with a burst of strength.

"Yeah, it's bad," Kuri began. "There's no denying that. We're young. We're alone. We're hurt. Raphael is powerful and, as far as we know, he might have Grubb's pack on his side. But we have something they'll never have. We have love and truth and each other. We also have Selene. She's Chosen each of us, too. There has never been a group like us—we're completely new." Kuri paused, trying to meet everyone's eyes and smile confidence to them. Into her pause, Jacob spoke.

"Priestess, this evil is like nothing I've felt before," he said. "Nothing I've even heard of before. It is an untamed thing seething with hatred. When it burst forth from the earth, I felt as if evil had been reborn."

"But you recognized it, Jake. And lots of the others didn't. I watched their reactions to it. They didn't grab their weapons or get the hell out of there, like you did."

"Perhaps it would have been braver to stay," he said.

"Bullshit!" Aphrodite said. "A stupider wolf would have stayed. You're here with us, and now you have a chance to fight it. For all we know those other wolves were either mowed down by those damn bird things, or are under some weird spell like the rest of the wolves."

"Yeah," said Reiko. "We're here because there's something different about us."

"Something special," Damien said.

"Damn special," Shaunee said.

"I'm with you on that one, Twin," Erin said.

"All right. So what do we do next?" Jacob said.

They all looked at Kuri. She looked at them.

"Well, uh, we make up a Plan," Kuri said.

"A Plan?" Jacob said. "That's it?"

"Nope. We make up a Plan, and then we figure out how to take our pack back. Together." I stuck my hand out in the middle of them, like I was a softball-playing dork. "Are you guys with me?"

Aphrodite rolled her eyes, but hers was the first hand to cover mine. "Yeah, I'm in," she said.

"And me," said Damien.

"Me, too," said Jack.

"Ditto," said both of the Twins together.

"I'm in, too," said Reiko.

"I wouldn't miss it for the world," said Jacob, putting his hand on the top of the pile and smiling into Kuri's eyes.

"All right, then," Kuri said. "Let's go get 'em!" And as they all yelled dorkishly after her, Kuri felt an awesome tingle spread down her legs to her feet and from her shoulders to the front and palms of her hands, and knew when she pulled them out of the hand pile she'd find brand-new intricate tattoos decorating each of my palms, like she was an exotic ancient priestess who had been henna-Marked as special by her Goddess. So, even in the midst of craziness and exhaustion and life-changing chaos, Kuri was filled with peace and the sweet knowledge that she was walking the path my Goddess wanted her on.

Not that that path was smooth and pothole free. But still, it was her path, and like her, it was bound to be unique.


	22. Circling

**Reiko**

The Cullens were sitting around the TV.

"Seattle is in a state of terror..." Yukiru Sugisaki was reporting from Chicago. "Police are baffled by the escalating murders and disappearances."

Larten and Kurda watched with concern. Darius was draped over the couch. Reiko and Edward entered as "Theories range from a vicious new gang to a wildly active serial killer... Reporting live, Yukiru Sugisaki, CNN." The report continued.

"It's getting worse. We're going to have to do something." Larten said.

"Ever since the Breaking this has been going on." Kurda said. "It could only be..."

"Raven Mockers." Edward said. "Raphael's children of hatred and ruin, they are part raven and part human."

"His army." Reiko confirmed. "He'll soon be making his move."

"If we don't put a stop to them, the Volturi will. I'm surprised they've let it go on this long." Larten said.

"In Italy, I read Lilith's mind." Edward said. "He wants me and Kramisha to join him... Our gifts would shore up her power. Raphael could solve that for her."

There was a silence.

"We need to join the tribe in battle." Reiko said finally. "That is why I remain bound to the Quiluete. We have to fight together and drive Raphael back into hell."

**Bea**

A male Raven Mocker careened into the wall, cracking bricks. He fell to the ground at the feet of Rephaim, who spun on a second newborn.

"Next one who starts a fight gets his arms ripped off!" Rephaim snapped.

Rephaim stepped over a human man lying on the ground, barely alive. Another Raven Mocker watched hungrily as a Raven Mocker dove on the man, taking what was left of his life.

There were another dozen Raven Mockers of both genders who fed, lounged, and fought. What they had in common was ferocity, strength, and thirst.

Rephaim went to a pretty Raven Mocker, Bea, 15, who lay in a corner, just awakening. As he squatted to check on her, she suddenly jumped up, backed against the wall, disoriented and profoundly thirsty. Her wings fluttered behind her.

"Sleep..." Bea said. "I've been asleep for so long..."

Rephaim stroked her hair. "Father promised all of us we never have to sleep again."

"Father?" Bea said. She was quiet for a moment, then looked up at Rephaim. "I am hungry."

"You will feast with the others. But..." Rephaim caressed her cheek. "You are special. You will eat fresher meat."

Bea blushed, unsure of what to do with the affection the leader showed her. She followed him into the shadows.

**Reiko**

Grams was sitting at the table, looking at a "Missing" flier for the man the Raven Mockers had been eating.

Reiko entered and sat down. "Hey. Did you eat dinner yet?"

"Um... no... I haven't." Grams said, looking at the flyer. "Another one the Raven Mockers got. I curse myself for bringing you girls here."

Grams hugged her Vampire granddaughter.

Reiko ascended the stairs.

**Edward**

"I don't know how to leave her behind." Reiko admitted to Edward, who was seated on her bed.

"Is that why you won't say yes?" Edward asked warily. "You could just date me for a few decades, and then after she—"

"You shut your mouth!" Reiko threw a pillow at him before he could mention that her Grams and everyone she knew, excepting the Quiluetes and her sisters of course, would die.

"Why do you see me as a superior Vampire?" Reiko accused. "I know you do, don't deny it."

"It's because..." Edward traced the red tattoo. "You're my priestess, so far beyond what I could ever reach, and yet...so close..."

Edward kissed her, grateful that she remained at his side.

**Jacob**

Jacob, in wolf form, stood guard over Kuri's house every night. Along with him tonight was Seth, though sometimes it was Leah, Quil, or Embry.

Tonight, Darius and Kramisha were standing several paces apart. Stone still, keeping watch, listening.

They heard the wolves behind them and whirled. Jacob and Seth took Darius and Kramisha's place on guard duty.

And thus a truce began, albeit a tense one.


	23. Sea Foam

"Okay, any Leads?" Edward asked his family.

"No sign of the intruder." Kurda said. "But Raphael continues to make appearances."

"He's toying with us." Larten said. "Keeping us distracted."

"From Seattle?" Darius questioned.

"Or the intruder." Larten said. "Or something else."

"Kramisha can keep tracking Raphael's decisions but we have to track him on the ground." Edward said.

Tired of being ignored, Reiko headed out to the deck.

"We've already cover the entire southern peninsula down to Quinault." Kurda said.

"We'll search the northwestern trail." Edward said.

Xxx

The sun set over the river as Aphrodite looked out.

Reiko exited. Aphrodite knew who's behind her without looking.

"Go blather to someone else about the joys of being a new vampyre." Aphrodite snapped.

"Okay. Aphrodite... I don't understand what I did, to make you hate me so much." Reiko growled back. "Why do you have to—"

"I don't hate you. I don't particularly like you, but... Reiko, I envy you." Aphrodite said.

"What?" Reiko looked at the beautiful, powerful Aphrodite. "That's ridiculous."

"No, it's not. You have a choice. I didn't. None of us did. But you do, and you're choosing wrong. I don't care how miserable your human life is." Aphrodite said.

"My life is not miserable. It's not perfect, but nobody's life is perfect." Reiko said.

"Mine was. Absolutely perfect." Aphrodite said.

"It was a long time ago, maybe you're forgetting the bad." Reiko said.

"I remember. And it was perfect. Till the end..." Aphrodite said.

"I had... almost had... everything, even though it was the Great Depression. Back then my name was Beth-Rose. I was eighteen, beautiful—everyone in Rochester envied me. I was the daughter of the Mayor. My mother was a poised, perfect Lady. My father was a well-respected politician. I was engaged to be married; but I had no idea, that there was a woman in town, Lilia, who loved the man I was engaged to. So she paid someone to kill me. The last thing I remember was bleeding in the gutter after being gunned down. Larten found me, he smelled all the blood... Thought he was helping me."

"I'm sorry." Reiko said.

"I got my revenge eventually." Aphrodite said. "Especially after I found out my parents had paid for the hit on me..."

Reiko looked horrified. "That's horrible."

Aphrodite shrugged. "I was just an item to them. And they could always be bought. Lilia had enough money."

"Things got better after I found Darius. But we'll always be this. Frozen, never moving forward. That's what I miss the most, the possibilities. Sitting on a front porch somewhere, Darius gray haired by my side, surrounded by our grandchildren, their laughter."

Aphrodite was silent for a beat. Reiko turned to her, empathetic but holding her ground...

"I understand, that's what you want. But there's nothing I'll ever gonna want, more... ... than Edward." Reiko said.

"You're wrong again." Aphrodite said. "Don't you remember how you felt when your first turned? When you were rabid? You didn't think of Edward. You thought of...Blood."

Seeing her point had landed, Aphrodite walked off. REiko, shaken, turned back toward the house and saw Edward standing in the window, looking out at her.


	24. Graduation

"I look around me and I see strong brave people who have been through a lot." Damien said. "That strength and experience is great. After all these battles, college is going to be a breeze. Don't worry too much, learn from your mistakes, and have fun! We did it!"

He threw his cap in the air and the rest of the class did so as well.

Mana, Reiko, and Kuri headed over to Grams and hugged her.

"I-I'm so proud of you three." Grams said. "I can't wait to see what you do next. You're my biggest accomplishment."

"Grams, that's not true." Reiko said.

"Yeah, it is. And it's... well, you'll see, when you have kids." Grams said.

"She _can't." _Mana snidely remarked.

Reiko's hands went to her stomach as she realized that the way she'd Changed, she had no idea if she could ever have a child or not.

Kuri put a hand on her sister's shoulder. "Shut up Mana. It's like Grams always said."

"We're Priestesses; we can do _anything." _The family chorused, including a reluctant Mana.


	25. Watched

In Seattle on an Isolated Street, at night.

Raphaim, exasperated, stood next to a late model sedan that lay upside down in the dark street. Smoke came from the engine, a fire ignited. Inside the car, a woman screamed.

"What did I say, about low profile?" Raphaim said. "Something's coming... Something... Bigger than any of us alone. And if you can't... ... control yourselves... We're all going to die."

A male Raven Mocker ignored him, as he pulled the screaming woman from the car and began to feed on her. Nearby, two other Raven Mockers fed on prizes of their own – a prostitute and a bike messenger. Raphaim gave up.

"What's done is done, just... ... clean up after yourselves." Raphaim said.

There was an overpass in the distance – where four people stood, utterly motionless, looking down at the mayhem.

They were the Volturi.

Dallas with her misleadingly angelic face. The hulking Duantia, elegant Elliot and cherubic Shekinah. All wore dark coats with hoods. Shekinah was calling the shots.

"They've already drawn too much attention." Duantia said.

"So has our 'inaction'. Others may begin to question the Volturi's effectiveness." Elliot said.

"Let them." Shekinah said.

"Maybe we should consult with Lilith." Duantia said.

Dallas shot Duantia a look – Searing Pain shot through her body. The dark Duantia dropped to the ground writhing silently.

"Lilith's decisions are being watched. We must decide." Shekinah said.

Elliot carefully, gently touched Dallas' shoulder, interceding. She released Duantia.

"Then decide. It's time." Duantia growled.

Shekinah helped her up. Dallas smiled at Shekinah, utterly uncaring of the agony she just caused Duantia.

"Yes, it is. Either we let them do what they were created for... Or we end them. Decisions, decisions..." Shekinah said softly.

Raphaim sensed something and Looked up, but– the Volturi were gone.


	26. Making A Move

It was night, in the Cullen house, at the graduation party, wall to wall with teenagers who were Dancing and celebrating. Kramisha had transformed the place into a magical nightclub.

Reiko entered, immediately overwhelmed by the crowd. She weaved her way through the throngs, searching for Edward. She finally spotted him.

Edward was deep in consultation with Larten, Darius and Kurda. Their mood was intense

Reiko headed toward them but Shaunee and Erin swooped in.

"You've made it." Shaunee said.

"Hey. What'd you think of my speech? Too easy-breezy, too self-helpful? You may admit it." Damien asked.

"No, you pretty much nailed it." Reiko said.

"Yeah? It's like I was born to lead, right?" Reiko said.

"Oh, great. I love this song, let's go." Erin said.

She pulled them to the dance floor where Kuri started the dance. She did a crazy dance she'd been learning and everyone laughed and cheered her on.

Their celebratory mood was in striking contrast to the atmosphere in the kitchen. A dance floor was Reiko's idea of hell, but she forced a smile, shuffled a bit.

Kuri looked up and saw Jacob enter, and she beamed.

Jacob entered, calm, confident. Quil and Embry flanked him, looking tense, eyes darting around the room. Kuri maneuvered off the dance floor and into Jacob's path.

"I'm glad you're here." Kuri grinned. "Someone to dance with me."

"Well I wouldn't want anyone else dancing with you." Jacob grinned. "I brought you something. A graduation present. I made it myself."

He took her hand and clasps to her wrist a charm bracelet. The charm was an intricately hand-carved figuring of a miniature wolf. Kuri looked at it, moved.

"Oh... You made this? It's really pretty. Thanks." Kuri kissed his cheek

Jacob was pleased. But then Kuri's eye was caught by – Kramisha – standing by the staircase, frozen. She was having a vision. Alarm clouded Kuri's face. Jacob saw it.

"I'll be right back." Kuri said.

"Why? What's going on?" Jake asked her.

"Nothing. Just wait here a sec." Kuri said.

Jacob shared a suspicious look with Embry and Quil as Kuri pushed through the crowd.

Kuri reached Kramisha just as she comes out of her vision, her face alarmed. Reiko was there at the same time, hand on her shoulder.

"Kramisha, what did you see?" Reiko asked gently.

Jacob appeared. "Okay, something is going on. Tell me."

"I... need to talk to Kurda." Kramisha said softly.

Jacob put an arm against the wall, blocking her. "Why don't you talk to me?"

"Jacob..." Kuri said admonishingly, but it did nothing to placate him.

Suddenly Kurda was there. His expression was lethal. "I suggest you remove – your – arm. Before I do.

Jacob did so, slowly, carefully.

"The decision's been made." Kramisha said.

"What's going on? You're not going to Seattle?" Reiko said.

"No... They're coming here." Kramisha said, eyes on Kuri. "Their coming...for you."

Jacob pulled Kuri close, protectively, a pained look crossing his face.


	27. On The Move

Kramisha saw Raphael teaching Reiko's scent to the other Raven Mockers.

the party continues inside. But outside, the discussion is tense. Kuri, Reiko, Kramisha, Edward, Kurda, and Larten debate as Jacob tries to follow. Quil and Embry are nearby, on guard.

"How long?" Edward asked.

"They'll be here in four days." Kramisha said.

"This could turn into a blood bath." Larten said.

"Who's behind it?" Edward asked.

"I didn't see anyone I recognize. Maybe one..." Kramisha said.

"I know his face. He's local, Riley Biers." Edward catches Reiko's eye as she recognizes the name, shaken. "He didn't start this."

"Whoever did is staying out of the action." Kramisha said.

"They must be playing with the blind spots in your vision." Larten said.

"Either way, the army is coming... ... and there aren't enough of us to protect the town." Kurda said.

"Hold up. What damn army?" Jacob said. Kuri held his hand. He was about to explode.

Larten and Edward shared a look. Edward shook his head no, but Larten decided differently.

"Newborns. Our kind." Larten said.

"What are they after?" Embry asked.

"They were passing around Reiko's scent. A purple blouse.

"They're after Reiko?

"What the hell does this mean?" Jacob said.

"It means an ugly fight. With lives lost." Larten said.

The weight of it lands on all of them. Beat. Jacob shared a sober look with Embry and Quil and Kuri. An imperceptible nod.

"Alright... We're in." Jacob said.

"No. You'll get yourselves killed, no way. " Reiko said.

"I wasn't asking for permission." Jacob said.

"Edward." Reiko said.

"It means more protection for you." Jacob said. "I want to protect my imprint's sister."

"Jacob." Kuri said.

"Do you believe Sam will agree to... an understanding?" Larten asked.

"As long as we get to kill some vampires." Jacob said.

"Kurda?" Larten asked.

"They'll give us the numbers. And the newborns won't know they even exist. That'll give us an edge." Kurda said.

"We'll need to coordinate." Larten siad.

"Larten, they'll gonna get hurt." Reiko said.

"We'll all need some training. Fighting newborns requires knowledge that Kurda has. You're welcome to join us. Alright." Larten said.

"Name the time and place." Jacob said.


	28. Practice

It was dawn, in a clearing in the woods. There was an eerie silence. It was a large field surrounded by dense forest. The mist was heavy; it's overcast, grey. Suddenly, the quiet was broke by Darius being flung through the air, flailing in slow motion. He landed hard on his back, but immediately sprang up to face Kurda, the person who threw him.

"Again." Darius said.

Larten, Arra, Kramisha and Aphrodite watched them spar.

There was an arriving Volvo that skidded to a halt next to Kurda's Jeep. Edward and Reiko climb out, head into the field together. Halfway across, Edward stopped.

"They're here." Edward said.

On the treeline, from out of the mist skulked eight giant wolves, along with Kuri and Mana, as wary and on-edge as the Cullens are. Darius recognized Paul-wolf; their eyes met, both itching for a rematch.

"They don't trust you enough to be in their human forms." Mana said.

Kuri glared at Mana. "No need to be so sharp, Mana."

"They came. That's what matters." Larten said.

Kuri saw Jake as a wolf and smiled. "Jake!" She petted him.

He seemed to almost smile, tongue lolling. A sharp look from Sam-wolf gets Jacob-wolf to focus.

"Will you translate?" Larten asked Edward.

Edward nodded. Larten moved slowly towards their pack. Sam-wolf, the biggest and blackest stepped forward.

"Hey, Jake. Welcome." Edward said.

"Kurda has experience with newborns. He'll teach us how to defeat them." Larten said.

"They want to know how the 'newborns' is differ from us." Edward translated.

"They're a great deal stronger than us, because their own human blood lingers in their tissues. Our kind is never more physically powerful... ... than in our first several months of this life." Larten said.

The pack took this in. Larten nodded to Kurda to take over. Kurda was initially uncomfortable with both the wolves and the attention. But stepped forward.

"Larten's right. That's why they are created. A newborn army, doesn't need thousands like a human army. And no human army could stand against them. The two most important things to remember are, first... Never let them get their arms around you. They'll crush you instantly. The second... Never go for the obvious kill. They'll be expecting that. And you will lose. Darius? Don't hold back." Kurda said.

"Not in my nature." Darius said.

Darius charged Kurda with impossible speed, but Kurda was a virtual blur. Darius lunged several times, his strong arms grabbing at air. Kurda stopped long enough to say—

"Never lose focus. One more thing... Never turn your back on your enemy." Kurda said.

Darius lunged again with similar results, until suddenly he froze – Kurda had him from behind, his teeth an inch from Kurda's throat. Reiko was taken aback by Kurda's skill. And there's an impressed rumble among the watching wolves.

Mana looked impressed, and Kuri was beaming.

Everyone took turns sparring with Kurda, or pairing off against each other. They were all blurs, which became visible as shift to slow motion to see a violent but extraordinary dance.

Kramisha and Kurda sparred, spiraling, twisting. Kurda launched at her but with her eyes glazed over, not looking at him, she saw his moves before he made them. Out of nowhere, Kramisha was perched on his back; she kissed his neck.

"Gotcha." Kramisha grinned.

Edward and Larten attackEd one another, but Edward could read Larten's mind which gave him the advantage. He twirled beyond Larten's grasp, then slammed into him delivering a vicious body blow.

"Focus on speed, agility, keep your opponent off guard..." Kurda said.

The wolves rose and paced, watching intently, itching to get into the fray but holding back.

"Use their momentum against them—" Kurda said.

Kuri was anxiously watching these fierce, life and death war games. A portent of the violence to come.

A furry muzzle brushed her face. Jacob-wolf was beside her, his eyes conveying concern. She pensively looked back out at the field.

"Some of you, are gonna get hurt. Some of you could get killed, because of me. It's gonna be a hundred times worse than this, right?" Kuri said. "I released this curse on the land, and I..."

She stopped, her voice breaking.

A beat – then Jacob nuzzled her face again. She pet him and leaned against him.

"We're done for the day." Edward said, appearing next to Reiko.

His expression was calm, but firm. Kuri eyed them, then rejoined the pack as they left into the woods.


	29. In Hiding

"I'm not just gonna hide, while you're taking all the risks for me." Reiko stated. "I am a priestess. I should be fighting with everyone. I'm the Vampire Priestess!"

Edward stared at her, wrestling with anger and sorrow. "I know you are strong, Reiko. But Raphael wants you and the other priestesses dead. I have to protect you. Jacob is protecting Kuri, and Sam is protecting Mana. In their own way."

"But they are going to fight!" Reiko protested. "I should fight too!"

Edward hugged her. "No. Please no. I cannot lose you."

Reiko softened. "Alright. I won't fight. I'm sorry."

"It will all be okay." Edward said. "The wolves and my family will finish off the Raven Mockers and Raphael."

"I'll agree to hide on one condition." Reiko said. "If my sister needs me for a ceremony to stop this evil, you must step aside and let me go."

Edward struggled for a few minutes, then nodded. "I promise."

"Then we will hide together." Reiko said. "You can protect me, and I can protect you."

Edward chuckled. "Alright then, little priestess."

Reiko pouted, glaring at him, muttering. "Not little..."

Edward hugged her closed. "There's no need to worry. I'm here. I'll always be here."


	30. Darkness and Light

Kuri turned to Jacob, but before she could say anything he pulled her into his arms and kissed her. "Just live," he said when he finally released her.

"I will if you will," Kuri said.

"It's a deal," Jacob repeated.

Then a movement over his shoulder caught Kuri's eye. Under the streetlight at the Twenty-first and Peoria Street intersection, Raphael's tendrils of Darkness swarmed.

"Raphael's here," Kuri said. She gripped her Seer Stone, thinking … thinking … And then her knew—at least part of what she needed to do. "The Fey are attached to Old Magick!"

"What can I do to help you?"

"I need something sharp."

"No worries. I got this handled." Jacob sprinted to the Hummer, yanking open the door and taking out the duffel bag full of arrows he'd brought. Then he was running to Kuri. He paused and took one of his arrows from the bag. "Be careful. It's real sharp." He kissed her quickly, pulled his bow from his back, and took a position three stairs down from her. He smiled grimly and said, "I can't kill him, but I sure as hell can hurt him."

"He's vain. Remember that. Aim for her face," Kuri said. "That'll really piss him off."

Then all Kuri's attention was focused on Raphael's tendrils of Darkness. They were swarming into the park, like black oil spilling over the ocean's surface. In the center of them, being carried forward with their tide of evil, was Raphael.

Kuri shouldn't have been surprised that he'd changed. They'd all changed since the last time Kuri had seen her. Kuri just hadn't expected that the madness inside of him would eventually seep out so visibly.

Raphael was bigger than he had been before. His arms and legs were out of proportion with the rest of him. They had elongated, especially his fingers. They moved continuously, restlessly, as if he couldn't keep himself still.

A spider! Oh, Goddess, he reminded Kuri of a spider!

"Spirit, come to me," Kuri said before fear overwhelmed her. Instantly, Kuri felt the infilling of her favorite element, soothing her nerves, calming her fear.

Selene, I'll do the rest if you just please help me to be wise and strong.

The Goddess's voice washed through her mind along with spirit, filling her and chasing away the last of her fear. _You have my blessing, Kuri Hikawa. Remember, love is the strongest of them all …_

Confidently, Kuri stepped to the edge of the stone stairs.

"Raphael! It's Kuri Hikawa. I'm here because I've had enough of your bullshit. Your killing time is over. Now."

Raphael's emerald gaze focused on her right away. His smile was reptilian. "Don't you mean you're hear to kill me, you vapid, ridiculous child?"

"Actually, no," Kuri said. "Unlike you, I don't slaughter people."

"How very grown-up of you," he sneered. "And what a lovely surprise it is to find you so quickly and easily. I thought I'd have to pry you from the middle of your circle after each of your friends willingly and stupidly sacrificed themselves for you."

"Well, Raphael, you are wrong. Again."

While he laughed at me and glided over the sidewalk and into the park, Kuri drew a deep breath.

I can do this. I know that there is Old Magick in La Push, and where there is the most ancient of magicks, there is also the Fey.

Kuri lifted the Seer Stone, sliced the arrowhead across my palm. Kuri cupped her hand, welling the blood, then lifted her Seer Stone, saying, "Sprites of spirit! Come to me!" Kuri blew a big puff of breath over my palm, shooting a cascade of blood at the Seer Stone. As if the blood were caught in a vortex, it swept through the center of the stone, and as it came out the other side there was an explosion of bright purple light.

Kuri smiled at the sprites. "Thank you for hearing me. I ask one thing of the Fey. Shed your Light into that Darkness." Kuri pointed at the nest of writhing creatures surrounding Raphael.

The sprites shot away from her. Seconds later purple lights exploded all around Raphael sending blood and gore skyward.

"No!" Raphael screamed. With his unnaturally distended fingers, he caressed the wounded creatures that slithered back to him, murmuring to them as if they really were her children. Then he straightened. His anger blazed at her. "You will be sorry you did that!" Raphael began gliding forward, commanding, "Finally, finally, kill Kuri Hikawa!"

Raphael's command released total chaos. Threads of Darkness moved in a wave of teeth and writhing, muscular bodies toward the stone stairs.

"Watch Raphael. The second he's close enough, get that circle cast." Then Jacob stood up and said, "Kill those bastards of Darkness!"

Jacob's pack descended on the creatures of darkness and destroyed them.

"More!" Raphael called into the night. "I need more of my children!"

It seemed that the shadows vomited Darkness. The things swarmed from everywhere.

And still Raphael wasn't close enough.

"His face! Do it!" I told him.

"Strike Circe's vanity," Jacob commanded as Seth leapt forward and sliced Raphael's cheeks, scoring bloody, gaping wounds through him.

Screaming over and over, Raphael staggered, holding his face in his hands, trying to keep the skin on his cheeks from flapping open.

Kuri thought wounding his would at least confuse her tendrils of Darkness, make them pause if he was unable to call out commands.

Kuri was wrong.

Wounding him worked on them like spurs on a horse. Suddenly they were everywhere.

"Kuri! Get back to the Hummer! Lock yourself in!" Jacob yelled at her as he shot his last arrow. "I'll follow you!"

"I'm not going anywhere," Kuri said.

Jacob looked up at Kuri and smiled grimly. "Then neither am I." Jacob planted his feet wide and held his fists up, ready to battle the tendrils with his bare hands.

Instantly, a longsword materialized before him, glistening with deadly beauty.

Jacob's hand closed around the Guardian Sword's hilt, and with a triumphant shout, he began slicing through the tendrils of Darkness that dared try to get past him.

And still Raphael wasn't close enough.

Grimly, Kuri slashed the arrowhead across my other palm. This time deeper, causing her blood to rush into my hand. Kuri held up the Seer Stone. "Sprites of air, fire, water, and earth—come to me!" Kuri blew my blood through the center of the stone, and Fey appeared all around me in the forms of birds and fairies, merfolk and forest nymphs. "No matter the cost, I'll pay it. Just get me to Raphael."

Go to the Dark Angel.

Kuri did as they commanded, moving past Jacob.

"Kuri? What the hell?"

"Stay there, Jacob! Keep fighting them. I'm going to her." Kuri couldn't look at Jacob. Kuri knew he wouldn't listen to her. Kuri knew he wouldn't stay up on the stairs where he had a chance against the tendrils. "Jacob Black, I will always love you!" Kuri shouted.

Then Kuri ran. The Fey surrounded her and moved with her, a solid shield of ancient power, repelling any tendril that approached them. Kuri circled around behind Raphael. And then, using her Fey shield as a battering ram, Kuri hurled himself at him.

The Fey hit him from behind. Blinded by blood and pain, he didn't see them coming. Kuri knocked him toward the grotto. One step, then another.

Hissing at Kuri like she was a cobra, Raphael whirled around and he terrible, long fingers sliced through the Fey closest to he.

It was a water Fey, a mermaid, and the beautiful blue sprite gave a horrible, inhumane shriek of pain and dissolved into the ground.

Kuri gritted her teeth and took another step toward him.

"You little bitch! That is you inside there. Do you think Old Magick will stop me from killing you? I truly command Old Magick! A mortal cannot defeat me!"

Raphael struck again, and a fire sprite exploded.

Kuri battered him back another step, and he hacked through a Fey in the shape of a graceful heron.

With only a forest nymph between Raphael and Kuri, she ran at him. Raphael raked his talons through the Fey, who screamed and disappeared, but the dark angel was off balance from the uneven Washington sandstones beneath his feet, and he fell.

Finally! Close enough!

"Damien, where are you?" Kuri cried.

"Here!" His head popped up from behind a clump of azaleas to my left. "Air, I call you to our circle!" Kuri shouted, and wind rushed around us.

"I'm here!" Shaunee yelled, stepping out from behind a fire-blackened tree.

"Fire, I call you to our circle!" Kuri felt the heat of her element.

"Children! Stop her! Kill her!" Raphael commanded.

Kuri stood her ground, even as she felt a tendril of Darkness slice into her leg. "Erin!"

"Right here!" She jumped and waved from the top of the ridge to Kuri's right.

"Water, I call you to our circle!"

"Rei!" Kuri cried, as she grabbed a snake-creature as it shot toward her throat and bashed it against a rock.

"I'm right behind you, Kuri, and I got your back!"

Kuri turned. Jacob's sword sang in an arc around us, while she called, "Earth, I call you to our circle!" Kuri breathed in the scents of a meadow as she completed her casting by calling, "Spirit, I call you to our circle!"

A wide silver ribbon of light crackled into being, connecting the five of us and completely encircling Raphael.

"Do you think a circle will hold me?" Raphael was on his hands and knees. His face was bloody but already healing. He looked at Kuri and laughed. "You've just made this easier. I destroy this circle, I destroy you. Come to me, children! All of you come to me!"

Raphael's creatures obeyed him. They slithered from all the shadows within the park, a dark tide rising around him.

Kuri ignored him and the creatures he called to execute me. Kuri raised my arms. "Air, fire, water, earth, and spirit—hear me! I am Kuri Hikawa. My ancestors danced beneath the sky, evoking you in the name of the Great Earth Mother, in respect and love, themselves caretakers of this land, keepers of the mortal realm's balance of Light and Darkness. Tonight I invoke your aid as a daughter of those ancient caretakers. Raphael and his creatures defile us all and create unbalance. So as the Wise Women before me did, I beg of you, Great Earth Mother and the powers of Old Magick, entrap Raphael and his children!" Imagining herself as a fountain and the elements as streams of power shooting up from the bowels of the earth and through me, Kuri threw air, fire, water, earth, and spirit at Raphael.

The silver ribbon that connected Kuri to the circle rushed from her, closing like a noose around Raphael and his tendrils of Darkness, and drawing them back, together, into the open mouth of the grotto.

Jacob

Jacob tore at a Raven Mockers arm, ripping it from its shoulder. The creature shrieked in pain. Jacob tossed the arm aside, going in for the kill. With a snarl, Jacob pulled the head from its neck, not necessarily killing it, but restricting it. It couldn't do much without its head, now could it?

"Hey, Jake, a little help here?" Quil called, and Jacob glanced over to see him dancing in circles with a target of his own. Jacob made sure his steps were light, creeping up on the leech with stealth. When its back was to him, Jacob lunged, pinning it to the ground and pulling at its leg as Quil went for the arm. The shrieks hurt their sensitive ears, but the sound was pleasant all the same. They wanted these suckers to suffer.

A hard kick to his side sent him reeling, and Jacob landed yards away from Quil. He barked in worry, but the leech was already coming for him. Jacob pushed myself to his feet as fast as Jacob could, but the Raven Mocker was too quick; she tackled him and they rolled repeatedly in the grass. She was still on top of him by the time they stopped, and Jacob snapped at her in fury. She dodged him skillfully, swinging an arm and striking his throat. Jacob coughed and fought to compose myself quickly.

One wrong move and Jacob was dead.

A snarl left his throat as Jacob snapped at the beast again, managing to grab her hand and remove it. A cry of pain and anger left her, but his own frustration was too much for him to cower away. Like Jacob was going to be afraid of these things, anyway. It was too much fun, tearing them limb from limb like this.

Two hands gripped the side of her head suddenly, surprising even him. Jacob heard the ugly crack from the neck being broken, and the blonde mane went flying to the east. His eyes found one of his allies, and if Jacob could have smiled properly, he would have.

"Need some help, pup?" Kramisha smirked. Her eyes were fierce, and Jacob knew she was pissed. At the same time, she looked pleased. An amusing sight in itself.

Jacob rolled over onto all fours and jumped back into the action. There was still no sign of Raphael, but they were going to keep taking on her army of Raven Mockers. Rei was safe with Edward, and Jacob would help keep his family safe from them as well, Kuri included.

Nobody on their side had fallen out yet, but there were plenty of bodies piling up on Raphael's side. Ultimately, she would lose this fight. Her lackeys were failing to protect her. She would be next.

Minutes passed and the numbers dwindled considerably. There were only a few Raven Mockers left, and Jacob watched as Paul took one out, as did Kurda and Larten.

Jacob still caught that awful smell from a draft, which triggered a growl from deep in his throat. Jacob turned in that direction, discovering almost too easily what was going on.

Leah.

"Leah, take him out!" Sam ordered.

"Relax. He'll see what a woman can do," she replied, smug. Jacob started across the clearing, spotting her behind a large boulder. She circled the enemy, teasing him, boasting.

"Dammit, Leah! Do as he says!" Paul cried. "This is no time to make a point!"

The Raven Mocker initiated the brawl. His eyes darted left and right, watching Leah take him on swiftly in the beginning. A few minutes into the fight were when she began to struggle. The vampire managed to wrap his arms around her neck, the snapping of her shoulder heard across the clearing. She would heal in seconds, but the leech wasn't giving her the time of day.

His feet moved automatically, instinct kicking in as Jacob went to protect one of his own. Jacob leaped over Leah and grabbed the bloodsucker by the shoulder, pulling him away from her. Jacob turned, trying to get a hold on the monster's neck, but he kept forcing him to rotate. Jacob didn't give up, no matter how pissed off he was becoming.

The moment he managed to get behind him, that anger turned to panic.

Jacob tried his hardest to get out of it, hearing hollers of fear and warning. Pain shot through him seconds after, his ribs popping and shattering, a whine leaving him instantly. Jacob collapsed to the ground before Jacob registered that Kuri was the one who got the pest away from him.

A primal scream escaped his mate as she saw the pain the Raven Mocker had caused him. He watched her eyes, saw the loss of control, and then he heard rather than saw an explosion of flesh and bone. She turned, throwing the Raven Mockers into the trees, and they looked terrified.

But then she took another look at him, and calmed, heading over, body heaving with sobs and unshed tears.

His breathing heavy, Jacob opened his eyes to see Larten standing next to him, as well as Embry, now in human form.

"Jake," he said, breathless.

"Relax, son," Larten told him, one of his chilly hands resting on his shoulder. He started to feel his sides, the touch involuntarily causing him to convulse.

"How bad is it?" Jacob couldn't see Kuri, but he could hear her.

"Jake, you idiot! He was mine!"

"Leah, enough," Sam ordered.

"His bones are shattered along the right side of his body. He'll recover quickly, but it'll be easiest if he's human," the doctor explained.

"Jacob, let go. Turn back," Sam ordered. Jacob couldn't, the pain too much. Jacob was stronger in this form, and he knew that. Phasing would make the pain worse. "Dammit, Jake, do as I command! I know you don't listen to me anymore but please!"

"Let me," Kuri stepped forward and put her shaking head to his. He could feel how weak she was at this moment, but she still came to help him with all she had left.

"Wait, Kuri. Larten." Jacob recognized the tinkling voice, picturing all too well who was standing in front of him. It helped that Jacob could smell her. "The Volturi, they're coming. Less than a minute."

"Are Edward and Rei on their way?"

"Yes, thirty seconds."

"Sam," Larten said, turning his attention back to the alpha. "You mustn't be here when they arrive. They know nothing of the alliance. We don't need another fight."

Sam nodded and turned to Paul and Embry. "Both of you, help get Jake back home, and quickly."

They shifted right there, not wasting any time. They nudged him to his feet, though Jacob only limped away from the clearing and the Cullens. Jacob told Kuri he would come back in one piece.

At least Jacob fulfilled his promise.

Xxx

"Rei, help me!" Instantly, Rei was at Kuri's side, taking her hand.

"Earth," Rei commanded, "close 'em in!" A green glow lit up the rocks all around the grotto. The earth beneath their feet began to shake, harder and harder, until the stones fell free, avalanching to seal the mouth of the grotto.

The silence that followed was incredible. Kuri felt wobbly. Her knees were weak. Rei and Kuri were still holding hands.

"Jacob!" Kuri called. "Where are you?" Her eyes were already beginning to tear. Kuri knew he wouldn't answer. Kuri staggered, and Edward caught her.

He was bloody but alive.

"Take it easy," he said as he and Rei helped her sit down. "Everything's going to be okay."

"Take a few deep breaths, and before you close the circle, borrow some energy from spirit," Edward said.

Kuri nodded numbly, staring at the silver ribbon that still circled her.

"Kuri! We did it!" Damien cried as he hurried up to them.

"That was super scary," Erin said.

"But awesome," Shaunee agreed.

They were all around me—all of her circle. And they had done it. They'd trapped Raphael.

"Yeah, it was awesome, but painful," Jacob said.

Kuri looked up, and through her tears saw Jacob. He was standing there, smiling down at me. He had a bunch of cuts on his arms and legs, and he was bleeding like crazy, but he was alive!

Kuri stood, in the center of her circle, and raised her hands again. Kuri noticed there was blood all over them. Kuri didn't care. Jacob was alive!

Kuri fell to the ground, feeling like her head was going to explode. Jacob was holding her. Kuri looked around wildly, and she could see that Erin had gone to Kumiko, and Damien, Shaunee, and Edward were rushing to Rei. The other Hikawas were collapsed in pain with her.

What was happening to them? Ohmygoddess, what now?

Just when Kuri thought she couldn't stand any more pain, the sky flashed with a blinding light, taking with it the terrible agony in my head.

Shakily, Kuri sat up.

"Kuri, are you okay? What happened—" Jacob's smile interrupted his words. "Oh, that's what happened!"

Kuri frowned. What was he talking about? Kuri rubbed her face. Man, her forehead hurt.

"Ohmygoddess! That's the coolest thing I've ever seen!" Rei practically squealed.

Still confused, Kuri glanced over to where she was, kneeling beside Kumiko. Kumiko looked as dazed as she felt. Blinking, she turned her head to Kuri and she understood.

Kuri gaze went from her to Rei.

"All of you!" Kuri said. "You all made the Change!"

"All of you. You all Changed, Kuri. Even you!" Jacob reached forward and traced a delicate Celtic knot pattern that now spread down around her cheekbones—a real Mark for a real Priestess.

Kuri looked up, through eyes filled and overflowing with grateful tears, and saw the moon shinning full and glorious down on us.

"Thank you, Selene. Oh, thank you so much!" Kuri called to the moon.

_Kurisuta Hikawa, may you and your faithful friends, eternally blessed be …_


End file.
